cười cợt
Definition
- Verb:
- To jest / to joke: To make light, humorous remarks or engage in playful banter, often without serious intent.
- To mock / to scoff: To laugh at or make fun of someone or something in a derisive or scornful manner.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Anh ấy chỉ đang cười cợt cho vui thôi, đừng bận tâm. (He was just jesting for fun, don't mind it.)
- Đừng cười cợt những ước mơ của người khác. (Do not mock the dreams of others.)
- Họ ngồi cười cợt với nhau suốt buổi chiều. (They sat joking with each other all afternoon.)
Advanced Usage
- The term often implies a tone that is not fully respectful. The context determines whether the action is seen as light-hearted teasing or as contemptuous ridicule.
Variants and Related Words
- Cười (v): to laugh, to smile.
- Cười nhạo (v): to sneer, to deride (stronger, more explicit mockery).
- Đùa cợt (v): to joke, to kid around (focuses more on playful joking).
Synonyms
- To jest: to speak or act in a playful or humorous way.
- To mock: to tease or laugh at in a scornful or contemptuous manner.
- To ridicule: to make fun of someone or something unkindly.
Related Idioms
- Cười cợt trên nỗi đau của người khác: to joke/mock over someone else's pain.
- Hành động cười cợt trên nỗi đau của người khác là tàn nhẫn. (The act of mocking someone else's pain is cruel.)