鈍 meaning and stroke order
Blunt, obtuse; dull, flat; dim-witted
How to write 鈍, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 鈍
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- blunt
- stupid
How 鈍 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Metal.
釒 gives the meaning and 屯 hints at the sound.
Radical: 釒 (gold), shared by 135 characters on this site.
How to remember 鈍
The metal radical 釒 points to a blade, and 屯 (tún) gives the sound. Picture a metal blade piled up and stuck in one place, never sharpened, so it turns blunt.
鈍 describes tools that are not sharp, and by extension people or reactions that are slow. It often appears in words like 迟钝 (chídùn, sluggish) and 钝器 (dùnqì, blunt instrument). Example: 这把刀太钝了。(Zhè bǎ dāo tài dùn le.) This knife is too blunt.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes read 鈍 as tún because of the phonetic part 屯, but the character is pronounced dùn with a falling fourth tone. Also do not confuse it with 顿 (dùn, pause), which sounds the same but uses 页 instead of the metal radical.
Common words with 鈍
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 遲鈍 | chídùn | slow in one's reactions; sluggish (in movement or thought) | |
| 鈍器 | dùnqì | blunt instrument (used as a weapon) |
Questions about 鈍
How many strokes are in 鈍?
鈍 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 鈍 mean?
鈍 (dùn) means blunt, obtuse; dull, flat; dim-witted. A common word with it is 迟钝 (chídùn), meaning "slow in one's reactions; sluggish (in movement or thought)".
How do you pronounce 鈍?
鈍 is pronounced dùn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 鈍?
The radical of 鈍 is 釒, which carries the idea of "gold". Dictionaries list 鈍 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 鈍?
鈍 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 钝, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the opposite of 鈍?
The usual opposite is 快 (kuài) or 锋利 (fēnglì), meaning sharp. For example, 刀很快 means the knife is sharp.
Is it rude to call someone 鈍?
Yes, using it about a person suggests they are dull or slow-witted. People more often use 迟钝 to describe slow reactions, and it can still sound critical, so use it carefully.