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捉弄 (zhuō nòng) — to make fun of, to tease (often with a mischievous or mean intent)

Definition

To tease or make fun of someone in a mischievous, often mean way — the tease itself is the point, not shared humor. Playful teasing without real harm is usually 开玩笑, while 捉弄 implies the target is the butt of the joke.

verb
to make fun ofto tease (often with a mischievous or mean intent)

Examples

  • 捉弄，。
    Nǐ bié zài zhuō nòng wǒ le, wǒ bù xǐ huan zhè yàng.
    Don't make fun of me anymore, I don't like it.
  • 捉弄，。
    Tā zǒng ài zhuō nòng tóng xué, dà jiā dōu hěn shēng qì.
    He always likes to tease his classmates, and everyone gets very angry.
  • ，捉弄。
    Wǒ men zhǐ shì kāi gè wán xiào, bú shì zhēn de xiǎng zhuō nòng tā.
    We were just joking; we didn't really want to make fun of him.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

捉zhuōcatch
弄nòngplay with

捉 means catch and 弄 means play with, so the sense pictures catching someone and toying with them.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
足
足zú捉zhuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

捉 pairs 扌, the hand form of 手, with 足, which gives the character its sound.

Open 捉 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The form 弄 combines 玉 (jade) with 廾 (hands), showing hands touching or handling jade.

Open 弄 →
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