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书呆子 (shū dāi zi) — bookworm; pedant (derogatory, for someone overly devoted to books and theorizing)

Definition

A mildly derogatory noun for someone who only reads books and can't handle real life. Carries a teasing or critical tone — not a neutral label like 'scholar'.

noun
bookwormpedant (derogatory, for someone overly devoted to books and theorizing)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 书呆子，。
    Tā jiù shì yí gè shū dāi zi, chú le kàn shū shén me dōu bù dǒng.
    He's just a bookworm — he doesn't understand anything besides reading.
  • 书呆子，。
    Tā zhè zhǒng shū dāi zi de xìng gé, hěn nán róng rù shè huì.
    Having this kind of bookworm personality, it's hard for him to fit into society.
  • 书呆子，。
    Dà jiā dōu xiào hua tā shì shū dāi zi, kě shì tā gēn běn bú zài hu.
    Everyone teases him for being a bookworm, but he doesn't care at all.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

书呆
书shūbook呆dāidull
偏正Modifier + head
子zǐperson

书 gives books, 呆 gives dullness, and 子 marks the person.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 書; 书 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
聿聿yùwriting brush
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě書shū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 書 uses 聿, a writing brush, and 者 for its sound; the simplified 书 is a later shorthand.

Open 书 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

呆 combines 口 (mouth) and 木 (wood) to show something dull or wooden, which came to mean foolish.

Open 呆 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →
Appears in
Personality & Traits

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