See How Fast You Can Learn Chinese

Try our interactive spaced repetition demo—study your first words in 60 seconds

Interactive demo Takes 60 seconds No sign-up needed
Try Demo Now

Studying for the HSK? Don't like subscriptions? Try our one-time HSK Study Access package for $9.99 (PPP available).

Learn More

哭笑不得

kū xiào bù dé
HSK 3.0 Level 7

Sign in to save this word to your study lists.

Definitions

  1. 1. lit. not to know whether to laugh or cry (idiom)
  2. 2. both funny and extremely embarrassing
  3. 3. between laughter and tears

Child Words of 哭笑不得

哭
kū

to cry; to weep

不得
bù dé

must not

得
de

structural particle: used after a verb (or adjective as main verb), linking it to following phrase indicating effect, degree, possibility etc

得
děi

to have to

笑
xiào

to laugh; to smile

得
dé

to obtain

不
bù

no; not so