可笑
kěxiào
In Chinese, the phrase ridiculous is translated as 可笑 (kěxiào). If unsure, use 可笑. Wiktionary also lists 荒謬 / 荒谬 (huāngmiù) and 荒唐 (huāngtáng).
Meaning: foolish, absurd (adj)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 可笑 | kěxiào |
| 荒謬 / 荒谬 | huāngmiù |
| 荒唐 | huāngtáng |
While 可笑 describes something that is laughable, 荒唐 is used for behavior that is outrageous or lacks common sense and 荒谬 is used for things that are truly irrational or illogical.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 可笑 is composed of 可 (can/able to) and 笑 (laugh), literally meaning 'able to be laughed at'.
Which one should you use?
荒谬 is the most formal and intellectual term, often used to describe illogical theories, political situations or philosophical absurdities. 荒唐 is frequently used to describe behavior or actions that are outrageous, improper or nonsensical.
How do you pronounce it?
kěxiào
Did you know?
- The character 荒 (huāng) in 荒谬 originally carries a sense of 'wild' or 'uncultivated'. This suggests that an 'absurd' idea is one that is seen as unrefined or lacking the order of civilization.
- While English speakers use 'ridiculous' to mean 'very good' in slang, using 可笑 in this way would be confusing. In Chinese, the word remains tied to its literal meaning of something deserving a laugh or mockery.
- In Chinese, the term 可笑 can sometimes sound more patronizing than its English counterpart. While 'ridiculous' describes a situation, calling a person 可笑 can imply you are looking down on them with pity or contempt.
Examples in context
- 你就是荒唐。You're just being ridiculous.This sentence is useful for describing someone's behavior using 荒唐.Tatoeba #5965711 by verdastelo9604, translation #3360203 by CK
- 荒唐！Ridiculous!This is an exclamation used to express that something is 荒唐.Tatoeba #12880269 by Enzo, translation #695668 by jakov
- 滑稽可笑。It was ridiculous.This sentence is useful for describing a situation as 可笑.Tatoeba #11231383 by klzlueylx, translation #2248877 by CK
- 他的理论太荒谬了!His theory is ridiculous!
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a strange news story.
- 浩然 Haoran你看那个新闻了吗？Nǐ kàn nàge xīnwén le ma?Did you see that news?
- 雨婷 Yuting看了，简直太可笑了。Kàn le, jiǎnzhí tài kěxiào le.I did, it is simply ridiculous.
- 浩然 Haoran雨婷，你觉得这合理吗？Yǔtíng, nǐ juéde zhè hélǐ ma?Yuting, do you think this is reasonable?
- 雨婷 Yuting一点都不合理，太荒谬了。Yīdiǎn dōu bù hélǐ, tài huāngmiù le.Not reasonable at all, it's too absurd.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ridiculous” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
