Definition
愚 (yú) is a bound form (不自由语素) — it always appears as part of a compound, never alone. It has two common functions: (1) meaning 'foolish' or 'stupid' in words like 愚蠢 (yúchǔn) and 愚笨 (yúbèn); (2) as a humble prefix attached to nouns to politely refer to oneself or one's own actions, e.g. 愚见 (yújiàn, 'my humble opinion') and 愚弟 (yúdì, 'your humble younger brother'). A less common usage is in 愚弄 (yúnòng) meaning 'to deceive' or 'to make a fool of'. The humble usage is mostly found in formal, written, or epistolary Chinese.
b.f.
(bound form) foolishstupid (e.g., 愚蠢, 愚笨)(bound form, polite) humblemy (used in self-reference, e.g., 愚见, 愚弟)
Examples
- 愚。Zhè zhǐ shì wǒ gèrén de yú jiàn.This is just my humble personal opinion.
- ，。Tā bìng bú shì zhēn de yú bèn, zhǐshì méiyǒu nǔlì.He's not really foolish, just not putting in effort.
- 。Tā fànle yīgè yúchǔn de cuòwù.He made a foolish mistake.
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