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可笑 (kě xiào) — ridiculous, laughable; funny, amusing

Definition

可笑 (kěxiào) means 'laughable' — used when something is so unreasonable it deserves to be laughed at, not enjoyed. Stronger and more critical than 好笑, and more pointed than 好玩儿.

adjective
ridiculouslaughablefunnyamusing

Examples

  • 可笑。
    Tā jué de chuān nà yàng de yī fu hěn kě xiào.
    He thinks wearing that kind of clothes is ridiculous.
  • 可笑，。
    Nà ge yǎn yuán de biǎo qíng fēi cháng kě xiào, dà jiā dōu xiào le.
    That actor's expression was very funny, everyone laughed.
  • 可笑，。
    Zhè zhǒng shuō fǎ jiǎn zhí kě xiào, gēn běn bù kě xìn.
    This kind of claim is simply ridiculous, completely unbelievable.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
前缀qiánzhuìPrefix

A fixed syllable in front that adds a shade of meaning but carries none of its own.

可kěcan
笑xiàolaugh

可 means can and 笑 means laugh, together giving laughable.

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
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

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
犬犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
艸
艸cǎo笑xiào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

An early 笑 used the grass 艸 for the sound and the dog 犬 for the meaning; later it was written with 竹 and 夭.

Open 笑 →
Appears in
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