You may not know him, but you must have posted or seen him on social media. His name is Gavin Thomas, a cute 7-year-old American child and at the same time one of the online celebrities in China in recent days.
His smile is a perfect blend of embarrassment and politeness, unnaturalness and grace, pride and humility.
He was born with the ability to make all sorts of facial expressions and to show different emotions, which fast became deeply loved by Chinese netizens and they dubbed him the “smirking kid.”
假笑 (Jiǎ xiào): smirk, to smile in a way that is insincere or unnatural
So, here’s where the questions come in.
What other Chinese expressions about laughter do you know besides “smirking” mentioned above?
Do you know what the happiest laugh is? How to express the most elegant laugh in Chinese? And how to describe the most terrible laugh in Chinese?
In fact, there are a variety of Chinese expressions of “笑 (xiào).” Let’s have a look today.
(Learn Further About “笑 (Xiào)” Through a Sweet Song)
1. 微笑 (Wēixiào) smile – the most natural way of laughing
Example:
Tā shì yígè yǒushàn de rén, chángcháng miàn dài wēixiào.
她是一个友善的人，常常面带微笑。
She is a friendly person who often goes around wearing a smile.
2. 嘲笑 (Cháoxiào) laugh at; deride – the most horrible way of laughing
Example:
Wǒmen bù yīnggāi cháoxiào chéngjì luòhòu de tóngxué.
我们不应该嘲笑成绩落后的同学。
We should not laugh at classmates who are falling behind in their studies.
3. 哄笑 (Hōngxiào) guffaw – the most boisterous way of laughing
Example:
Tīng dào zhège xiàohua, bān shàng suǒyǒu rén bàofā chū yízhèn hōngxiào.
听到这个笑话，班上所有人爆发出一阵哄笑。
Everyone in class burst into guffaws upon hearing the joke.
4. 傻笑 (Shǎxiào) giggle – the most innocent way of laughing
Example:
Shōu dào nǚpéngyǒu de duǎnxìn huífù zhī hòu, tā yìzhí kàn zhe shǒujī shǎxiào.
收到女朋友的短信回复之后，他一直看着手机傻笑。
After receiving the text from his girlfriend, he looks at his phone and giggles all the time.
5. 哈哈大笑 (Hāha dàxiào) chortle – the most cheerful way of laughing
Example:
Xiǎo Míng yǐqián yì tīng dào zhèyàng de xiàohua, zǒnghuì hāha dàxiào.
小明以前一听到这样的笑话，总会哈哈大笑。
Xiao Ming always starts chortling over jokes he heard before.
6. 苦笑 (Kǔxiào) laugh bitterly – the most bitter way of laughing, forced laughter
Example:
Lì Li kǔxiào yì shēng, shuō: Zhècì kǎoshì wǒ yòu kǎo zá le.
丽丽苦笑一声,说：“这次考试我又考砸了。”
Li Li laughed bitterly and said, “I failed the test again.”
Other expressions of laughter
1. 嘻嘻 (Xīxi) whee; hee-hee
An onomatopoeia that mostly used when chatting online to show happiness or pleasure.
Example:
Tā píqì hěn hǎo, zǒngshì xiàoxīxi de.
她脾气很好，总是笑嘻嘻的。
She has a good temper and always smiles.
2. 哈哈 (Hāha) ha-ha; haw-haw
An onomatopoeia that refers to laughing from the bottom of one’ heart, and it expresses being in really happy or in a good mood.
Example:
Xiáochǒu huájī de biǎoyǎn dòu dé dàjiā hāha dàxiào.
小丑滑稽的表演逗得大家哈哈大笑。
The clown’s comical performance made the crowd burst into peals of laughter.
3. 呵呵 (Hēhe) a mimetic word for the chuckle
An onomatopoeia that is mostly used when chatting online to express strong ridicule and disdain.
Note:
Formal conversation: it’s best to avoid using “呵呵(hēhe),” or it will make your partner feel disrespected.
Example:
Bié kàn tā píngcháng lè hēhe de, fā qǐ huǒ lái kě bùdéliǎo.
别看他平常乐呵呵的，发起火来可不得了。
Don’t pay any attention to the cheerful behavior he normally shows, when he gets mad it’s terrible.
Chinese and foreign famous sayings on smiling:
Xiào yí xiào, shí nián shào.
笑一笑，十年少。
One laugh makes people ten years younger. –Chinese proverb
Dāng tā wēixiào shí, shìjiè ài le tā, dāng tā dàxiào shí, shìjiè biàn pà le tā.
当他微笑时，世界爱了他; 当他大笑时，世界便怕了他。
When one smiles, the world loves him, and when one laughs, the world becomes afraid of him. — Tagore
Did you laugh today? Remember to smile so that you will always be in a good mood, every single day!
1. Which of the following Chinese words corresponds to the English word in the quote?
After seeing my report card, Dad revealed a satisfied “smile.”
A. 笑声 (Xiàoshēng)
B. 笑话 (Xiàohua)
C. 笑容 (Xiàoróng)
2. Please choose the best answer that completes the sentence.
Wǒmen bù yīnggāi ( ) cánjí rén, ér yīnggāi xuéhuì zūnzhòng tāmen.
我们不应该（ ）残疾人，而应该学会尊重他们。
A. 嘲笑 (Cháoxiào)
B. 苦笑 (Kǔxiào)
C. 微笑 (Wēixiào)
Learn more expressions on smiling and laughing:
Do You Qualify As a Smiling Tiger Face?
A Mouth-spitting Chinese Word for Funny
你不高兴吗? (Nǐ bù gāoxìng ma?) Aren’t you happy?
Chinese Popular Words (Fun Stuff)
HSK Test
General Chinese (Beginner Level)
General Chinese (Intermediate Level)