吓唬

嚇唬

xiàhu

verb HSK 7-9 #5,178

Meanings

To scare by bluffing.

别吓唬小孩子。

Bié xiàhu xiǎoháizi.

Don't scare the little kids.

他在吓唬你呢，别当真。

Tā zài xiàhu nǐ ne, bié dàngzhēn.

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

这些话吓唬不了我。

Zhèxiē huà xiàhu bù liǎo 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