嗤笑 (chī xiào) — to sneer at, to laugh at derisively | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A formal, written verb meaning 'to sneer at / laugh derisively' — colder and more literary than everyday 嘲笑. Often used in the passive voice.

verb

to sneer atto laugh at derisively

Examples

嗤笑。
Tā duì wǒ de jiàn yì chī xiào le yī shēng.
He let out a sneer at my suggestion.
嗤笑。
Bú yào chī xiào bié rén de shī bài.
Don't sneer at others' failures.
嗤笑。
Tā de wén zhāng bèi hěn duō rén chī xiào.
His article was sneered at by many people.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

嗤 and 笑 both point to derisive laughter, so the word means to sneer at.

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.

口蚩嗤

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

蚩

蚩chī嗤chī

Same sound today

嗤 pairs 口 (mouth) with 蚩, which gives its sound. The 口 part shows the sneer is something done with the mouth.

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

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.

Appears in

Emotions & Feelings

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