啼笑皆非

tíxiàojiēfēi

idiom #48,654

Meanings

1 not knowing whether to laugh or cry
2 caught between laughter and tears
3 finding a situation absurdly awkward

Characters

to cry; to weep

to laugh; to smile

Examples

孩子的回答让老师啼笑皆非。

Háizi de huídá ràng lǎoshī tíxiàojiēfēi.

The child's answer left the teacher not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

这件事处理得啼笑皆非，谁也不好说话。

Zhè jiàn shì chǔlǐ de tíxiàojiēfēi, shéi yě bù hǎo shuōhuà.

The matter was handled so absurdly that no one knew what to say.

Tips

usage

啼 (tí) is the literary word for crying/weeping. The idiom describes a response to something absurd — not tragedy, not comedy, but the awkward middle that makes both reactions feel wrong.

Stroke Order

啼 tí

笑 xiào

皆 jiē

非 fēi