Chinese word

逗

Pronunciation

Pinyindòu

Meaning

  • verbtease

Example

他总是逗我。tā zǒng shì dòu wǒ

He always teases me.

Illustration for 逗 (tease)

More examples

哥哥常常逗孩子们开心。gē gē cháng cháng dòu hái zi men kāi xīn

My older brother often entertains the children.

Core concept

Lighthearted behavior that turns an interaction into laughter, either by gently teasing someone or by entertaining them.

Common phrases

  • 逗人开心dòu rén kāi xīn

    entertain people

  • 逗猫dòu māo

    tease a cat

  • 逗乐dòu lè

    make happy

Similar words

逗弄dòu nòng: Playfully tease someone with words or actions to enjoy their reaction.
调侃tiáo kǎn: Tease someone with joking or ironic remarks to draw out laughter or a reaction.

Definition in Chinese

用幽默或滑稽的言行使人发笑或娱乐，常用于相互逗乐的场合。yòng yōu mò huò huá jī de yán xíng shǐ rén fā xiào huò yú lè cháng yòng yú xiāng hù dòu lè de chǎng hé

Word origin

逗 (dòu, "tease") originally referred to stopping or staying, and its conversational sense grew from the idea of holding someone's attention with playful behavior.

Usage tips

  • English tease can suggest hurtful annoyance, while this everyday Chinese verb often describes light joking between people who are comfortable together.

Other meanings

  • funnyadjective
  • entertainverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 逗弄dòu nòngteaseverb
  • 逗笑dòu xiàomake laughverb

Word lists with this word