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挖苦

wākǔ
verb HSK 7 #10,831

Meanings

  1. 1 to be sarcastic
  2. 2 to mock
  3. 3 to speak sarcastically

Examples

他总是挖苦别人。
Tā zǒngshì wākǔ biérén.
He is always sarcastic towards others.
你别挖苦我了！
Nǐ bié wākǔ wǒ le!
Stop being sarcastic with me!

Tips

memory
挖 (to dig) + 苦 (bitter) = to dig up bitterness, i.e., to use cutting/sarcastic words that sting.
usage
挖苦 implies indirect, cutting remarks rather than direct insults. Compare with 讽刺 (to satirize) which is more formal and literary.

Stroke Order

挖 wā
苦 kǔ