Learn Chinese Through Funny Chinese Puns!
We love puns, don’t you? How about Chinese puns? Do you know what puns are called in Chinese?
Usually we talk about it as 双关语 (shuāng guān yǔ) or 押韵 (yā yùn) – you know you are an “insider” when you can play with puns in the language. For so many of us who are bilingual, we often play “across” languages too.
The Power of Puns in Language Learning
Puns really help us remember because they are fun and make us laugh. And that helps us develop a positive relationship with the language. Stephen Krashen, the expert in second language acquisition calls this the “affective filter”. When we can laugh and play in the language, we will feel much better about using the language.
Here are a few fun examples of puns in Chinese you can share with your friends!
Example 1
Ｑ：要用什么装蜜蜂?
Yào yòng shén me zhuāng mìfēng?
What should be used to contain bees?
Ａ：密封袋
mì fēng dài
Plastic sealed bag
The answer “密封袋” (mì fēng dài) sounds like “蜜蜂袋” (mì fēng dài), which means “bee bag.”
Example 2
Ｑ：哪个行业做菜不用铲子?
Nǎ ge háng yè zuò cài bú yòng chǎn zi?
In which industry do they not use a spatula for cooking?
Ａ：不动产
bú dòng chǎn
Real estate
Because 產 and 鏟 sounds the same, 不動鏟 means to not use a spatula or a shovel, and 不動產 is the real estate industry.
Example 3
Ｑ：什么职业要连续上八天的班?
shén me zhí yè yào lián xù shàng bā tiān de bān?
What profession requires you to work for eight consecutive days?
Ａ：调酒师
tiáo jiǔ shī
Bartender
This is actually a cross-language pun. It is a play on the similarity in pronunciation between “八天的” (bā tiān de), meaning “eight days of,” and the English word “bartender”, which is “調酒師” (tiáo jiǔ shī).
Example 4
Ｑ：什么东西最有空?
shén me dōng xī zuì yǒu kòng?
What has the most free time?
Ａ：玉米
yùmǐ
corn
This is actually a cross-language pun arising from the phonetic similarity between “corn” and “空” ( free time ) . This is because many Chinese speakers use an “ng” sound at the end of “corn” instead of an “n” sound. So, “corn” is pronounced “kong” by many Chinese speakers.
Example 5
Q: 谁煮的面最难吃？
Shéi zhǔ de miàn zuì nán chī?
Who cooks the worst noodles?
A：蜘蛛侠，因为是「失败的面」
Zhīzhū xiá, yīn wéi shì `shībài de miàn’
Spiderman. Because they are failed noodles.
Another super fun cross-language pun – because “失败的面” which literally means “failed noodles”, also sounds like Spiderman in English – in this case, it would be pronounced “Shi-Pai-De-Mian”.
