How to Write 愚 (yú) — Meaning “foolish / stupid”

Picture the top part 禺 as a foolish person wearing a funny hat, and the bottom 心 as their heart or mind inside. Imagine that the person's mind is trapped under the hat, making them act foolishly. This visual helps you link the shape to the meaning.

Pay attention to the bottom radical 心, which has three dots in a curved shape — students often make the dots too large or misplace them. The top part 禺 has an inner 田 structure; make sure the vertical stroke in the center connects correctly. The overall balance is important: the top should not be too wide compared to the bottom.

愚 means foolish and has a clear heart radical at the bottom, while 㥯 (yǐn) is a rare character meaning 'hidden' or 'careful' and has a different top component (not 禺). 恿 (yǒng) means 'courage' or 'to urge' and has the heart radical but with the top part 甬, giving it a different pronunciation and meaning. Visually, 愚 has 禺 on top, 㥯 has a more complex top with 㥯, and 恿 has 甬 on top.

愚 appears in words like 愚蠢 (foolish) and 愚昧 (ignorant), often used to describe a lack of intelligence or knowledge. It is also part of 愚人节 (April Fools' Day), a day for playing tricks. Culturally, calling someone 愚 is considered strong criticism, so it is used carefully to avoid insult.

Common words containing 愚 include: 愚蠢 (yú chǔn) — stupid / foolish; 愚人节 (yú rén jié) — April Fools' Day; 愚昧 (yú mèi) — ignorant / benighted.