Chinese word

嘲弄

Pronunciation

Pinyincháo nòng

Meaning

  • verbmake fun of

Example

不要在背后嘲弄别人。bú yào zài bèi hòu cháo nòng bié rén

Don't make fun of other people behind their backs.

Illustration for 嘲弄 (make fun of)

More examples

老师不应该在课堂上嘲弄学生。lǎo shī bù yīng gāi zài kè táng shàng cháo nòng xué shēng

Teachers should not make fun of students in class.

Core concept

Turns another person into an object of ridicule through words, facial expressions, or both.

Common phrases

  • 背后嘲弄他人bèi hòu cháo nòng tā rén

    make fun of others behind their backs

  • 公开嘲弄他人gōng kāi cháo nòng tā rén

    publicly make fun of others

  • 当面嘲弄对方dāng miàn cháo nòng duì fāng

    make fun of the other person to their face

Similar words

嘲笑cháo xiào: Laugh at someone through words, sounds, or facial expressions to show contempt.
嘲讽cháo fěng: Attack someone with sarcastic words or an attitude meant to mock and hurt.
讥笑jī xiào: Give someone a cold, scornful laugh that makes them seem foolish.
侮辱wú rǔ: Hurt someone's dignity or sense of worth through insulting words or actions.

Definition in Chinese

用言语或表情贬低他人，使其成为笑柄或受人嘲讽。yòng yán yǔ huò biǎo qíng biǎn dī tā rén shǐ qí chéng wéi xiào bǐng huò shòu rén cháo fěng

Word origin

嘲 (cháo, "mock") + 弄 (nòng, "handle or play with") creates the image of treating a person as something to toy with while mocking them.

Usage tips

  • Friendly joking and 嘲弄 (cháonòng, "mocking") are not interchangeable, because 嘲弄 commonly carries contempt.

Other meanings

  • teaseverb
  • derideverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word