artless; simple and honest; unsophisticated
Describes a person or manner that is plain, straightforward, and without pretense, often with a rustic or unpolished quality. Can carry a positive nuance of sincerity or a slightly negative nuance of naivety depending on context.
His artless, honest personality is liked by everyone.
He has a simple, unaffected way of speaking, but his words carry weight.
Standard kanji spelling; 朴 suggests simplicity, 訥 suggests slow or inarticulate speech.
Variant spelling using 木 (tree) instead of 朴; less common but still encountered.
The word is composed of 朴 (simple, plain) and 訥 (slow of speech, inarticulate). The combination suggests a person who is plain-spoken and unpolished. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji choice reflects the meaning.