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蠢驴 (chǔn lǘ) — (derogatory) stupid person, idiot; (zoology) donkey

Definition

Literally 'stupid donkey', used as a slang insult for a foolish person. Colloquial and harsh — avoid in formal contexts. The measure word is 头.

noun
(derogatory) stupid personidiot(zoology) donkey
Measure word · 头

Examples

  • 蠢驴，。
    Nǐ zhēn shì gè chǔn lǘ, zhè me jiǎn dān de shì dōu zuò bù hǎo.
    You're such an idiot — you can't even handle such a simple thing.
  • “蠢驴”，。
    Tā qì dé mà le yí jù "chǔn lǘ", zhuǎn shēn jiù zǒu le.
    He angrily muttered 'stupid donkey' and then turned and left.
  • ，：“蠢驴！”
    Wǒ bù xiǎo xīn dǎ suì le huā píng, lǎo mā dèng le wǒ yì yǎn: "xiǎo chǔn lǘ!"
    I accidentally broke the vase, and my mom glared at me: 'You little idiot!'

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

蠢chǔnstupid
驴lǘdonkey

蠢 gives stupid and 驴 gives donkey, so 蠢驴 means a stupid donkey or an idiot.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
䖵䖵䖵insects
Sound part声符shēngfú
春
春chūn蠢chǔn
Same sound today

蠢 pairs 䖵 (insects) with 春 as a sound part.

Open 蠢 →

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 驢; 驴 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
馬馬mǎhorse
Sound part声符shēngfú
盧
盧lú驢lǘ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 驢 uses 馬 (horse) to show the meaning and 盧 to give the sound; the simplified 驴 is a later abbreviation, so its parts are not original.

Open 驴 →
Appears in
Animals & MammalsPersonality & Traits

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