取笑
qǔ xiào · HSK 7
to make fun of
😆 取 take + 笑 laugh = take a laugh at someone's expense = tease, make fun of
取 means take or fetch, 笑 means laugh. To 取笑 is to take a laugh at another person's cost, i.e. to mock or tease them. The 取 (qǔ) carries the falling-rising third tone, then 笑 (xiào) the falling fourth tone.
取 — ear 耳 + hand 又
取 originally depicted a hand (又) grasping an ear (耳), referencing the ancient practice of soldiers cutting off enemies' left ears as proof of kills to claim rewards. The meaning broadened from 'seize/take by force' to the general sense of 'take, get, obtain' used today.
笑 — bamboo radical 竹 (⺮) + 夭 (yāo, bending)
Originally written with the bamboo radical over 夭, depicting a person bending or swaying. One traditional reading is that bamboo bends in the wind like a person doubling over with laughter. The character has meant 'laugh, smile' since early times, with no major shift in meaning.