笑话

• Pinyin: xiào hua
• Hanzi breakdown: 笑 = 竹 (bamboo) + 夭 (young/tender); 话 = 讠(speech) + 舌 (tongue)

Meaning

To laugh at; to ridicule. To make fun of someone or find something laughable.

When used as a verb, 笑话 means to mock or laugh at someone, often implying mild ridicule. It differs from the noun form 笑话儿 (joke/funny story). Commonly used with 别 (don't): 别笑话我 (don't laugh at me). Can also mean to look down on someone's mistakes.

Examples

1. 请不要笑话我的中文。 Please don't laugh at my Chinese.
2. 他总是笑话别人。 He always makes fun of other people.
3. 大家都笑话他穿错了衣服。 Everyone laughed at him for wearing the wrong clothes.

Usage Guide

Context: teasing, social situations, everyday

Tone: informal

Do Say

• 别笑话我，我还在学。(Don't laugh at me, I'm still learning.)
• 你不要笑话他了。(Stop making fun of him.)

Don't Say

• 把笑话当名词用而不加儿 (When meaning 'joke' as a noun, use 笑话儿 in spoken Chinese — plain 笑话 as a standalone noun can sound like the verb 'to laugh at')

Origin & History

笑 (xiào, to laugh) + 话 (huà, speech/words). As a verb, literally 'to laugh-talk about someone' — to ridicule through laughter.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal