siu3 beng3笑柄
Jyutpingsiu3 beng3
Yalesiu beng
Definition
Laughingstock; an embarrassing matter or person that becomes an object of ridicule.
neutralpeopleemotion
How it's used
This term carries a strong sense of public humiliation and lasting shame. It is typically used to describe a person or an event that has become a recurring target for gossip or mockery. Unlike simple teasing, being a笑柄 implies a loss of dignity that is widely recognized by a group.
Examples
Don't do things like that, or you'll become a laughing stock to others.
After that embarrassing incident, he immediately became the laughing stock of the whole company.
Related words
Common phrases
to end up as a laughing stock
to become a laughing stock
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a verb, but it is strictly a noun. You cannot say someone is笑柄ing someone else; you must use a structure like 變做笑柄 or 淪為笑柄.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
