mắc cười
[mak̚˧˦ kɨəj˨˩]
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Funny, laughable — the Southern word; Northerners say buồn cười.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Gây cười — từ miền Nam; ngoài Bắc nói buồn cười.
Adjective
Where it’s used:
Used
Miền Nam · Southern Vietnam
Examples
Suốt buổi, không dính con cá nào, chị nói, "Mắc cười quá, tới mấy con cá quỷ này còn chê chị".The entire time, she could not catch a single fish; she said, "So funny, even those fiendish fish refuse me."
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31)
Equivalents & related
Common questions
What does “mắc cười” mean?
Funny, laughable — the Southern word; Northerners say buồn cười.
Is “mắc cười” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.
What is the closest equivalent?
“buồn cười” (Tiếng Việt) — same meaning · other region.