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哭笑不得

kūxiàobùdé
idiom HSK 7 #37,414

Meanings

  1. 1 to not know whether to laugh or cry
  2. 2 to find something both funny and frustrating

Examples

孩子把墙画满了画，让她哭笑不得。
Háizi bǎ qiáng huà mǎnle huà, ràng tā kūxiàobùdé.
The child covered the wall with drawings, leaving her not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
他闹的笑话让大家哭笑不得。
Tā nào de xiàohua ràng dàjiā kūxiàobùdé.
His antics left everyone not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Tips

usage
Used when a situation is so absurd or awkward that you can neither properly laugh nor properly cry — a mix of amusement and exasperation.

Stroke Order

哭 kū
笑 xiào
不 bù
得 dé