取笑

• Pinyin: qǔ xiào
• Hanzi breakdown: 取 = 耳 + 又 (take); 笑 = 竹 + 夭 (laugh/smile — bent bamboo resembles a smiling face)

Meaning

To mock; to ridicule; to make fun of someone unkindly; to deride.

Implies unkind or derisive mockery that causes embarrassment or hurt, stronger than gentle teasing. 遭到取笑 (to be mocked), 被人取笑 (to be made fun of) are common patterns.

Examples

1. 他因口音不同而遭到同学的取笑，内心深感委屈与难堪。 He was teased by classmates because of his accent, and he felt deeply hurt and embarrassed.
2. 这位设计师的大胆创作起初备受取笑，后来却获得了业界的高度认可。 The designer’s bold work was mocked at first, but later won high praise in the industry.
3. 她从不取笑他人的不足，总是以鼓励代替嘲讽。 She never makes fun of other people’s shortcomings, and always encourages them instead of mocking them.

Usage Guide

Context: social, education, interpersonal, narrative

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 在课堂上取笑同学的语言表达失误是一种极不礼貌的行为，会对对方的自尊心造成严重伤害。(Mocking a classmate's verbal mistakes in class is an extremely impolite behavior that can cause serious damage to the other person's self-esteem.)
• 这位演讲者坦然承认自己的失误，并以自嘲化解了可能遭受取笑的尴尬局面。(The speaker openly admitted his mistake, using self-deprecating humour to defuse the awkward situation that might have invited ridicule.)

Don't Say

• 朋友之间的取笑是正常的 — use 开玩笑 or 打趣 for friendly playful teasing; 取笑 specifically implies unkind mockery that hurts the recipient, not light-hearted banter among friends

Origin & History

取 (take) + 笑 (laugh/smile) — to take laughter at someone else's expense

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal