笑话
xiàohua
The Chinese word for joke is 笑话 (xiàohua).
笑话 is the most common and standard translation for the noun "joke". Much like in English, it can be used figuratively to describe a situation that is ridiculous or absurd, such as describing a failed system or a lack of privacy as "a joke".
Meaning: amusing story (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 笑话 is composed of the characters 笑 (to laugh) and 話 (story or speech), literally meaning "laugh story".
Which one should you use?
Use 笑话 when you are referring to the joke itself as a noun. If you want to refer to the act of joking or the act of teasing someone, use the related form 开玩笑.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
xiàohua
Did you know?
- Chinese culture has a specific genre of 'cold jokes' called 冷笑话 (lěng xiàohua), which are jokes that are so unfunny or absurd that they leave the listener feeling 'chilled'.
- In Chinese, the phrase 开玩笑 (kāiwánxiào) literally means 'to open a joke'. The verb 开 is used here in the sense of 'starting' or 'initiating' an activity.
- In a social context, calling someone's actions a 笑话 (xiàohua) can be a severe insult, implying they have become a laughingstock or a public embarrassment.
Examples in context
- 我没弄明白这个笑话。I didn't get the joke.This sentence is useful for saying you did not understand the joke with respect to 笑话.Tatoeba #399391 by GlossaMatik, translation #46232 by CK
- 一切事物都是个笑话。Everything was only a joke.This sentence shows how to say everything was only a joke using 笑话.Tatoeba #5067377 by jiaweikai, translation #5066843 by mailohilohi
- 个人隐私就是一个笑话。Personal privacy is a joke.This sentence uses 笑话 to describe personal privacy as being a joke.Tatoeba #4813406 by sadhen, translation #4844618 by pig8322
- 我听过一个很好笑的笑话。I heard a very funny joke.
- 刚才他给我们讲了个好笑的笑话。Just now, he told us a funny joke.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are chatting during a lunch break.
- 雨婷 Yuting浩然，你知道一个好笑的笑话吗？Hàorán, nǐ zhīdào yīgè hǎoxiào de xiàohuà ma?Haoran, do you know a funny joke?
- 浩然 Haoran知道，我现在给你讲一个。Zhīdào, wǒ xiànzài gěi nǐ jiǎng yīgè.I do, I'll tell you one right now.
- 雨婷 Yuting快讲，我正想听笑话呢。Kuài jiǎng, wǒ zhèng xiǎng tīng xiàohuà ne.Hurry up, I really want to hear a joke.
- 浩然 Haoran听好了，这个笑话很经典。Tīng hǎole, zhège xiàohuà hěn jīngdiǎn.Listen closely, this joke is a classic.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
