笨 bèn
“stupid; foolish; silly”
adjective, adjective / nounHSK 4 · 2021 list level 4
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
笨 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 1026: 笨 bèn — Level 4; official annotation 4 (形). PDF page 105
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 笨
笨 describes someone who is slow to learn or understand, or an action that is clumsy and awkward. It is a stative adjective, so it commonly appears with 很 or before a noun (笨人, 笨办法). Use it for everyday mild criticism, not for formal writing.
例句Example sentences
- 这道题我做了很久，我是不是很笨？zhè dào tí wǒ zuò le hěn jiǔ, wǒ shì bu shì hěn bèn?I spent a long time on this problem—am I stupid?
- 他不笨，只是不太用功。tā bú bèn, zhǐ shì bú tài yòng gōng.He isn't stupid; he just doesn't work very hard.
- 弟弟笨手笨脚地帮忙，结果把碗打碎了。dì di bèn shǒu bèn jiǎo de bāng máng, jié guǒ bǎ wǎn dǎ suì le.My little brother helped clumsily and ended up breaking a bowl.