Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Funny, amusing, laughable: Describes something that causes laughter or amusement, or something that is ridiculous in a humorous way.
   • Ridiculous, absurd: Describes something that is unreasonable, illogical, or contrary to common sense, often provoking a scornful or mocking laugh.

2. Verb (intransitive):

   • To feel like laughing, to be unable to suppress laughter: Describes the internal feeling or urge to laugh upon seeing or hearing something funny or absurd.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Câu chuyện anh ấy kể thật buồn cười. (The story he told was really funny.)
  • Cách ăn mặc của hắn trông thật buồn cười. (His way of dressing looks so ridiculous.)
  • Lý do cậu đưa ra nghe thật buồn cười. (The reason you gave sounds utterly absurd.)

• Verb:

  • Nghe giọng nói của nhân vật đó, tôi buồn cười quá. (Listening to that character's voice, I felt like laughing so much.)
  • Nhìn cảnh tượng ấy, ai cũng buồn cười. (Looking at that scene, everyone was unable to keep from laughing.)

Advanced Usage

• "Buồn cười thay" / "Buồn cười thật": An expression used to emphasize the ridiculousness or irony of a situation, often translated as "The funny/ridiculous thing is..." or "It's laughable that...".

  • Buồn cười thay, hắn lại tưởng mình đúng. (The ridiculous thing is, he still thinks he's right.)

• "Buồn cười đến (tận) xương tủy": An idiom meaning something is extremely funny or deeply, fundamentally ridiculous.

  • Lập luận của anh ta buồn cười đến tận xương tủy. (His argument is utterly and completely ridiculous.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cười (v): To laugh. The root verb from which buồn cười is derived.
• Buồn (adj/feeling): In this context, it indicates a "desire" or "urge" (e.g., = sleepy, = nauseous). Combined, it literally means "to have the urge to laugh".
• Nực cười (adj): Synonymous with buồn cười, meaning funny or ridiculous.
• Lố bịch (adj): More strongly negative than buồn cười, meaning grotesque, absurd, or preposterous.

Synonyms

• Hài hước: Humorous, comical (generally positive connotation).
• Khôi hài: Comic, comical.
• Nực cười: Funny, ridiculous.
• Lố bịch: Absurd, preposterous (stronger negative connotation).
• Kỳ quặc: Weird, odd (can imply funniness due to strangeness).

Idioms and Common Phrases

• Chuyện buồn cười: A funny/ridiculous story.

  • Cậu có biết chuyện buồn cười nào không? (Do you know any funny stories?)

• Trò buồn cười: A funny/ridiculous act or trick.

  • Đừng diễn trò buồn cười đó nữa. (Stop that ridiculous act.)

• Thật là buồn cười!: What a laugh!/How ridiculous!

  • Anh bảo tôi sai ư? Thật là buồn cười! (You say I'm wrong? How ridiculous!)

Notes on Usage

• Buồn cười can have a dual tone. It can express genuine amusement or light-hearted mockery. However, depending on context and tone of voice, it can also convey strong criticism, scorn, or dismissal, implying that something is not just funny but foolishly wrong or illogical.
• When used as a verb, it typically describes an internal state () and is not used with an object. You cannot "buồn cười" someone or something directly.

1. Funny
   • ăn mặc lố lăng, trông thật buồn cười
     to look funny in odd clothing
   • pha trò rất buồn cười
     to crack very funny jokes