吓唬

嚇唬

xiàhu

verb HSK 7 #5,178

Meanings

To scare by bluffing.

Bié xiàhu xiǎo háizi.

Don't scare the little kids.

Tā zài xiàhu nǐ ne, bié dàngzhēn.

He's just trying to scare you, don't take it seriously.

Zhèxiē huà xiàhu bùliǎo wǒ.

These words can't intimidate me.

usage

吓唬 is colloquial and implies the threat may not be real (bluffing). Compare with 吓 (to frighten - general) and 恐吓 (to threaten - formal/legal).

mistakes

The 唬 in 吓唬 is pronounced with a neutral tone: xiàhu, not xiàhǔ.

吓 xià

唬 hǔ