嘲

The character fundamentally expresses scorn expressed through words — laughter or speech used not to delight but to belittle.

Depending on context, 嘲 may range from lighthearted teasing (풍자, 유머) to bitter derision or satire (조롱).

Phono-semantic compound consisting of:

口 (입 구) — semantic component, representing the mouth, hence speech or utterance.

朝 (아침 조) — phonetic component, giving the sound jo / cháo, and possibly evoking the idea of “open and public,” as in “speech made openly in the morning court.”

Thus, the earliest sense was speech made openly and mockingly — words pronounced aloud to shame or ridicule another.

In Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字):

「嘲，戲笑也。从口，朝聲。」

“嘲 means to jest or laugh in mockery; composed of 口 (‘mouth’) and the sound 朝.”

Hence, the root concept is “to laugh with the mouth” — that is, to express derision through words.

嘲笑 (조소) — to mock, to laugh at

嘲弄 (조롱) — to ridicule, to make fun of

自嘲 (자조) — self-mockery

譏嘲 (기조) — satire, sarcastic criticism

冷嘲熱諷 (냉조열풍) — cold ridicule and hot sarcasm (figuratively, biting irony)

嘲諷 (조풍) — ridicule and satire

嘲風弄月 (조풍농월) — “playing with wind and moon,” i.e. engaging in romantic or idle amusement (later used figuratively for poetic dalliance)

The Kangxi Dictionary (康熙字典) defines:

「嘲，戲笑也。」

“嘲 means jesting laughter.”

and adds:

「譏誚曰嘲。」

“To mock or reproach through words is called 嘲.”

In early Chinese literature, 嘲 frequently appears in both satirical and literary contexts:

「善者不嘲人，愚者自取辱。」 (古語)

“The wise do not mock others; the foolish invite their own disgrace.”

During the Tang dynasty, 嘲詩 (“satirical poems”) became a recognized poetic form — verses that criticized social customs or human folly through wit and irony.

E.g., 白居易’s satirical works (嘲妓, 嘲夫, 嘲諫官) used humor and empathy to expose hypocrisy and injustice.

In Buddhist texts, 嘲笑 is classed among improper speech (惡口) — words that harm or belittle others — opposing the precept of right speech (正語).

In Confucian moral thought, 嘲 was considered a form of verbal impropriety (非禮之言) — laughter that disrupts harmony.

Yet in literary aesthetics, it evolved into the art of social criticism through humor, bridging ethics and rhetoric.

嘲 embodies the dual edge of human speech — capable of both wit and harm.

In poetry and conversation, mockery can enlighten by exposing truth, but when misused, it wounds and divides.

In the moral tradition, restraint from 嘲 was seen as a mark of humility and wisdom; in literary tradition, mastery of 嘲 signified sharp intellect and insight into human nature.

「以嘲為鏡，可照世態；以笑為劍，可斬虛偽。」 (文心雕龍-諷諭篇).

“Used as a mirror, mockery can reflect the world’s ways;

used as a sword, laughter can cut through hypocrisy” (Вень Сінь Дяо Лун - Сатира).

嘲 is a phono-semantic compound (口 + 朝) meaning “to mock, ridicule, or jest.”

Originally denoting speech of playful laughter, it came to encompass satire and derision.

In moral philosophy, it warns against hurtful words; in literature, it signifies the power of irony to reveal truth.

Thus, 嘲 reflects the ambivalence of laughter — both the voice of lightness and the weapon of critique.