| |
| 搞笑 [2025/08/10 11:44] – created xiaoer | 搞笑 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1 |
|---|
| ====== gǎoxiào: 搞笑 - Funny, Amusing, to Joke Around ====== | |
| ===== Quick Summary ===== | |
| * **Keywords:** gaoxiao, 搞笑, funny in Chinese, Chinese humor, how to say funny in Chinese, what does gaoxiao mean, silly Chinese word, amusing, to joke around, make someone laugh, Chinese comedy. | |
| * **Summary:** Learn the essential Chinese word **搞笑 (gǎoxiào)**, which means "funny," "amusing," or "to joke around." This page breaks down its meaning, cultural context in Chinese humor, and practical use in daily conversation and on social media. Discover how **搞笑 (gǎoxiào)** differs from similar words like **幽默 (yōumò)** and see 10+ example sentences that will help you understand how to use it correctly to describe something silly, a funny person, or to tell someone to stop goofing off. | |
| ===== Core Meaning ===== | |
| * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** gǎo xiào | |
| * **Part of Speech:** Adjective, Verb | |
| * **HSK Level:** HSK 5 | |
| * **Concise Definition:** To be funny or amusing, often in a silly or slapstick way; to make fun or joke around. | |
| * **In a Nutshell:** **搞笑 (gǎoxiào)** is your go-to word for everyday "funny." It describes things that make you laugh out loud—a silly video, a goofy friend, a funny face. It's more about being actively amusing or zany than being subtly witty. Think less "dry humor" and more "laugh-out-loud comedy." It can be used as a descriptor ("he is funny") or as a verb ("stop fooling around!"). | |
| ===== Character Breakdown ===== | |
| * **搞 (gǎo):** This is a very common and versatile verb meaning "to do," "to make," or "to engage in." It's formed with the "hand" radical (扌) on the left, indicating an action done with the hands. | |
| * **笑 (xiào):** This character means "to laugh" or "to smile." It's a pictograph that looks like a person with smiling, crinkly eyes (the top part, 竹) and a big, open mouth below. | |
| * **Combined Meaning:** Literally, the characters combine to mean "to make laugh" or "to do laughing." This perfectly captures the essence of **搞笑 (gǎoxiào)**—it's about the act of creating laughter or being amusing. | |
| ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== | |
| **搞笑 (gǎoxiào)** taps into a very accessible and universal form of humor, but its common usage in China highlights a preference for humor that is direct, light-hearted, and often physical or situational. | |
| In Western culture, a "sense of humor" might be associated with wit, irony, or sarcasm. While China has this too, often expressed with the word [[幽默]] (yōumō), **搞笑 (gǎoxiào)** represents a different, more populist flavor of comedy. It's the humor of internet memes, short video skits (短视频), variety shows, and slapstick comedians. It doesn't require deep cultural knowledge to understand—a cat falling off a chair in a funny way is universally **搞笑**. | |
| This contrasts with, for example, American stand-up comedy that relies heavily on social commentary or political satire. **搞笑** humor aims for immediate, uncomplicated laughter. It's fun, easy to share, and builds a light-hearted atmosphere, reflecting a cultural appreciation for simple joy and relieving stress through overt funniness rather than intellectual wit. | |
| ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== | |
| **搞笑 (gǎoxiào)** is an extremely common word in informal, modern Mandarin. | |
| * **As an Adjective:** This is its most frequent use. You use it to describe a person, movie, book, situation, or anything that you find funny. | |
| * `他很**搞笑**。 (Tā hěn gǎoxiào.)` - He is very funny. | |
| * `这个视频太**搞笑**了！ (Zhège shìpín tài gǎoxiào le!)` - This video is hilarious! | |
| * **As a Verb:** This usage means "to joke around," "to fool around," or "to be deliberately silly." It often appears in commands telling someone to stop. | |
| * `你别**搞笑**了！(Nǐ bié gǎoxiào le!)` - Stop joking/fooling around! | |
| * `你是不是在**搞笑**？ (Nǐ shì bùshì zài gǎoxiào?)` - Are you kidding me? / Are you trying to be funny? (Can be accusatory). | |
| * **On Social Media:** The term is rampant online. It's used to tag funny content, in comments on Douyin (TikTok), Bilibili, and Weibo. A funny clip is almost always described as **搞笑**. | |
| ===== Example Sentences ===== | |
| * **Example 1:** | |
| * 这部喜剧电影真的太**搞笑**了，我从头笑到尾。 | |
| * Pinyin: Zhè bù xǐjù diànyǐng zhēn de tài **gǎoxiào** le, wǒ cóngtóu xiào dào wěi. | |
| * English: This comedy movie is truly hilarious, I laughed from beginning to end. | |
| * Analysis: A classic use of **搞笑** as an adjective to describe a piece of media. The `太...了 (tài...le)` structure emphasizes the degree of funniness. | |
| * **Example 2:** | |
| * 我的同桌特别**搞笑**，总是讲一些冷笑话。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒ de tóngzhuō tèbié **gǎoxiào**, zǒng shì jiǎng yīxiē lěngxiàohuà. | |
| * English: My deskmate is especially funny; he's always telling some dad jokes/lame jokes. | |
| * Analysis: Here, **搞笑** describes a person's personality trait. It shows that being **搞笑** is part of who they are. | |
| * **Example 3:** | |
| * 你别**搞笑**了，我们得认真讨论这个问题。 | |
| * Pinyin: Nǐ bié **gǎoxiào** le, wǒmen děi rènzhēn tǎolùn zhège wèntí. | |
| * English: Stop fooling around, we need to discuss this problem seriously. | |
| * Analysis: This shows **搞笑** used as a verb in a command. The context is a shift from playfulness to seriousness. | |
| * **Example 4:** | |
| * 他试图在大家面前**搞笑**，结果没有一个人笑。 | |
| * Pinyin: Tā shìtú zài dàjiā miànqián **gǎoxiào**, jiéguǒ méiyǒu yīgè rén xiào. | |
| * English: He tried to be funny in front of everyone, but in the end, nobody laughed. | |
| * Analysis: Using **搞笑** as a verb, highlighting the *intent* to be funny, which didn't succeed. | |
| * **Example 5:** | |
| * 你是在跟我**搞笑**吗？这个价格也太贵了！ | |
| * Pinyin: Nǐ shì zài gēn wǒ **gǎoxiào** ma? Zhège jiàgé yě tài guì le! | |
| * English: Are you kidding me? This price is way too expensive! | |
| * Analysis: A common rhetorical question. Here, **搞笑** means something is so absurd or ridiculous that it seems like a joke. | |
| * **Example 6:** | |
| * 网上有很多宠物的**搞笑**视频。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǎngshàng yǒu hěnduō chǒngwù de **gǎoxiào** shìpín. | |
| * English: There are a lot of funny pet videos online. | |
| * Analysis: A very modern and common usage. **搞笑** acts as an adjective modifying "videos" (视频). | |
| * **Example 7:** | |
| * 他今天穿的衣服有点**搞笑**，一点都不搭。 | |
| * Pinyin: Tā jīntiān chuān de yīfú yǒudiǎn **gǎoxiào**, yīdiǎn dōu bù dā. | |
| * English: The clothes he's wearing today are a bit ridiculous/funny; they don't match at all. | |
| * Analysis: **搞笑** can be used to mean "funny" in a slightly negative or critical way, implying something is laughable or silly-looking. | |
| * **Example 8:** | |
| * 虽然他的方法很**搞笑**，但确实解决了问题。 | |
| * Pinyin: Suīrán tā de fāngfǎ hěn **gǎoxiào**, dàn quèshí jiějuéle wèntí. | |
| * English: Although his method was unorthodox/funny, it did indeed solve the problem. | |
| * Analysis: This shows that something can be **搞笑** (unconventional, silly) but still effective. | |
| * **Example 9:** | |
| * 派对上最**搞笑**的部分是他开始模仿老师的时候。 | |
| * Pinyin: Pàiduì shàng zuì **gǎoxiào** de bùfèn shì tā kāishǐ mófǎng lǎoshī de shíhòu. | |
| * English: The funniest part of the party was when he started imitating the teacher. | |
| * Analysis: Using `最 (zuì)` to say "the most funny" or "funniest." | |
| * **Example 10:** | |
| * 你把我的计划说得这么**搞笑**，让我很没面子。 | |
| * Pinyin: Nǐ bǎ wǒ de jìhuà shuō de zhème **gǎoxiào**, ràng wǒ hěn méi [[miànzi|面子]]. | |
| * English: The way you described my plan as being so ridiculous really made me lose face. | |
| * Analysis: This demonstrates the negative connotation. Calling a serious idea **搞笑** can be insulting, implying it's a joke and not to be taken seriously. | |
| ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== | |
| * **搞笑 (gǎoxiào) vs. 幽默 (yōumò):** This is the most important distinction. | |
| * **搞笑 (gǎoxiào)** is silly, slapstick, zany, or overtly funny. A comedian making funny faces is **搞笑**. | |
| * **[[幽默]] (yōumò)** is "humorous" and implies wit, intelligence, and a clever "sense of humor." A professor making a dry, witty comment is **幽默**. You would compliment an author's writing as **幽默**, not **搞笑**. | |
| * **搞笑 (gǎoxiào) vs. 好笑 (hǎoxiào):** | |
| * **[[好笑]] (hǎoxiào)** is a simple adjective meaning "funny" or "laughable." It just describes a reaction. "That joke was funny" - `那个笑话很好笑 (nàge xiàohuà hěn hǎoxiào)`. | |
| * **搞笑 (gǎoxiào)** implies an *action* or *intent* to be funny, and can also be used as a verb. While their adjectival uses overlap, **搞笑** often carries a stronger sense of being actively silly or performative. | |
| * **Common Mistake:** Using **搞笑** in a formal context. If you are describing a respected public speaker, saying `他很搞笑 (tā hěn gǎoxiào)` might sound a bit disrespectful, as if you're calling him a clown. In this case, `他很幽默 (tā hěn yōumò)` is a much better compliment. | |
| ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== | |
| * [[幽默]] (yōumò) - Humorous; humor. A more sophisticated, witty, and intellectual type of funniness. | |
| * [[好笑]] (hǎoxiào) - Funny, laughable. A simple and neutral adjective to describe something that makes you laugh. | |
| * [[开玩笑]] (kāi wánxiào) - To tell a joke; to be kidding. Refers to the specific act of joking. | |
| * [[滑稽]] (huájī) - Comical, funny, often in a slapstick or clownish way. Describes funny appearances or actions. | |
| * [[逗]] (dòu) - To tease (playfully); to amuse. The act of trying to make someone laugh, often a child or a pet. | |
| * [[段子]] (duànzi) - A short, witty anecdote or joke, very popular on the Chinese internet. | |
| * [[可笑]] (kěxiào) - Laughable, ridiculous. Often used with a negative or scornful tone, implying something is laughably bad or absurd. | |
| * [[喜剧]] (xǐjù) - Comedy (as a genre of film, play, etc.). | |
| * [[无厘头]] (wúlítóu) - "Nonsensical" or "mo lei tau." A genre of slapstick, surreal humor made famous by Hong Kong comedian Stephen Chow. It is a specific, extreme style of **搞笑**. | |