哭笑不得 kū xiào bù dé — lit. not to know whether to laugh or cry (idiom)
kū (first tone, high and level) xiào (fourth tone, falling) bù (fourth tone, falling) dé (second tone, rising)ku1 xiao4 bu4 de2
lit. not to know whether to laugh or cry (idiom)
Levels 7–9· 2021 three-band, nine-level proficiency standardexpression
Meanings
lit. not to know whether to laugh or cry (idiom)
lit. not to know whether to laugh or cry (idiom); both funny and extremely embarrassing; between laughter and tears
expression
Character breakdown
Words containing 不
- 不bù (fourth tone, falling)not (negates verbs, adjectives and modal verbs)
- 不要bù (fourth tone, falling) yào (fourth tone, falling)don't!
- 不错不錯bù (fourth tone, falling) cuò (fourth tone, falling)correct
- 不同bù (fourth tone, falling) tóng (second tone, rising)different
- 不断不斷búduàn (second tone, rising)continuously, unceasingly
- 不过不過búguò (second tone, rising)but, however (a lighter contrast than 但是)
- 不如bùrú (fourth tone, falling)to be not as good as; had better
- 不再bù (fourth tone, falling) zài (fourth tone, falling)no more
- 不用bù (fourth tone, falling) yòng (fourth tone, falling)need not
- 不少bù (fourth tone, falling) shǎo (third tone, dipping)many
- 不但búdàn (second tone, rising)not only … (but also)
- 差不多chàbuduō (fourth tone, falling)about the same, close enough, not much different
- 不然bùrán (fourth tone, falling)otherwise, or else
- 不管bùguǎn (fourth tone, falling)no matter (what/how…), regardless of
- 不足bùzú (fourth tone, falling)insufficient, inadequate; a shortcoming
- 不够不夠bù (fourth tone, falling) gòu (fourth tone, falling)not enough
- 不行bù (fourth tone, falling) xíng (second tone, rising)won't do
- 不仅不僅bù (fourth tone, falling) jǐn (third tone, dipping)not only (this one)