Chinese word

哭笑不得

Pronunciation

Pinyinkū xiào bù dé

Meaning

  • idiombe amused and exasperated

Example

她的话让我哭笑不得。tā de huà ràng wǒ kū xiào bù dé

Her words left me amused and exasperated.

Illustration for 哭笑不得 (be amused and exasperated)

More examples

电影的结局荒诞到让人哭笑不得。diàn yǐng de jié jú huāng dàn dào ràng rén kū xiào bù dé

The movie's ending was so absurd that it left me amused and exasperated.

Core concept

Two opposite emotional exits are blocked at once, leaving a person unsure how to respond to an awkward or unreasonable situation.

Common phrases

  • 令人哭笑不得lìng rén kū xiào bù dé

    make one amused and exasperated

  • 哭笑不得的表情kū xiào bù dé de biǎo qíng

    an amused and exasperated expression

  • 哭笑不得的反应kū xiào bù dé de fǎn yìng

    an amused and exasperated reaction

Similar words

啼笑皆非tí xiào jiē fēi: Finding something so absurd and sad that laughing or crying both feel unsuitable.
无言以对wú yán yǐ duì: Being unable to think of anything to say in reply.
不知所措bù zhī suǒ cuò: Being at a loss about what action to take in a confusing situation.

Definition in Chinese

形容在尴尬、无奈或荒谬的情况下，不知道该哭还是该笑，难以做出反应。xíng róng zài gān gà wú nài huò huāng miù de qíng kuàng xià bù zhī dào gāi kū hái shì gāi xiào nán yǐ zuò chū fǎn yìng

Word origin

哭 (kū, "cry") and 笑 (xiào, "laugh") name the two possible reactions, while 不 (bù, "not") + 得 (dé, "be able to") makes neither one possible, creating the idiom's image of helpless comic confusion.

Usage tips

  • The expression suits a single awkward incident, such as a strange request or an ill-timed remark, rather than a person's regular mood or character.

Opposites

Word lists with this word