How to Write 钝 (dùn) — Meaning “Dull/Blunt”

Imagine a metal knife (钅) trying to cut through a pile of earth (屯, which looks like a mound). The knife becomes dull because it cannot cut through the dirt. This visual helps link the character to the idea of bluntness.

Write the left radical 钅 first (5 strokes) in a narrow width, then the right part 屯 (4 strokes). Pay attention to 屯: the third stroke is a vertical hook, not just a straight vertical. Make sure the right side is slightly wider than the left for balance.

针 (needle) has a 十 inside and means something sharp and thin, while 钉 (nail) has 丁 and refers to a nail. 钝 contains 屯 and means blunt or dull. Visually, the right parts differ: 针 uses 十, 钉 uses 丁, and 钝 uses 屯. In usage, 钝 describes tools that are not sharp (e.g., 刀钝) or a slow mind (迟钝), whereas 针 and 钉 refer to sharp objects.

钝 appears in everyday phrases like 刀钝 (blunt knife) and 迟钝 (slow-witted). In mathematics, 钝角 means an obtuse angle (greater than 90 degrees). It is not a common HSK word, but you may hear it in descriptions of tools or as a mild criticism of someone's thinking speed.

Common words containing 钝 include: 刀钝 (dāo dùn) — Blunt knife; 迟钝 (chí dùn) — slow-witted / dull; 钝角 (dùn jiǎo) — Obtuse angle.