笑 (xiào) — to laugh; to smile
Definition
笑 covers both laughing and smiling — the everyday, neutral word. 微笑 (wēixiào) is a gentler, more deliberate smile, and 笑容 (xiàoróng) names the smile itself as a thing.
verb
to laughto smile
Examples
- 笑。Tā xǐ huan xiào.He likes to laugh.
- 笑！Bié xiào wǒ!Don't laugh at me!
- 笑？Nǐ xiào shén me?What are you laughing/smiling at?
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
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
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