Chinese · C1 · Unit 21
Wit and wordplay
机智和文字游戏
By the end you can
- Use wordplay and banter naturally
- Make a joke that fits the moment
- Understand jokes that depend on culture
Words and phrases
| Chinese | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 调侃 | (tiáokǎn) tease, banter | 同事们调侃他今年又没抽到奖。 |
| 抬杠 | (táigàng) bicker for fun, argue for the sake of it | 他俩一见面就抬杠。 |
| 接梗 | (jiē gěng) pick up a joke and run with it | 她接梗接得特别快。 |
| 一语双关 | (yì yǔ shuāng guān) a double meaning, a pun | 这句广告词一语双关。 |
| 损 | (sǔn) cutting, sarcastic (informal) | 你这张嘴也太损了吧！ |
| 开涮 | (kāishuàn) make fun of (拿 + someone + 开涮) | 别老拿我开涮！ |
| 冷场 | (lěngchǎng) awkward silence | 幸好他一句玩笑打破了冷场。 |
| 分寸 | (fēncun) a sense of where to stop | 开玩笑要有分寸。 |
| 妙语连珠 | (miào yǔ lián zhū) one witty line after another | 主持人妙语连珠，全场笑声不断。 |
| 歇后语 | (xiēhòuyǔ) two-part saying whose second half is often a pun (外甥打灯笼——照舅, which sounds like 照旧: same as ever) | 他说话爱用歇后语。 |
| 不按套路出牌 | (bú àn tàolù chū pái) be unpredictable (lit. not play your cards in the usual order) | 他说话从来不按套路出牌。 |
| 你赢了 | (nǐ yíng le) OK, you win (to give up a round of banter) | 好吧好吧，你赢了。 |
Then talk it through
Friendly banter between colleagues at the company's year-end party. In the app you have this conversation out loud or typed, with the unit's goals to tick off and corrections at the end.