Comedies & sitcoms in Chinese 喜剧
xǐjù
Comedy in Chinese is 喜剧 (xǐ jù).
Also searched for as: comedy films, sitcoms, funny shows, comedy series, stand-up comedy.
Running jokes, awkward moments and comedy gold. 15 essential comedies & sitcoms words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Comedy in Chinese is 喜剧 (xǐ jù), and a sitcom is a 情景喜剧 (qíng jǐng xǐ jù), literally "situation comedy". Chinese also has its own traditional comic forms, such as 相声 (xiàng sheng), fast-paced crosstalk usually performed by a duo, and 小品 (xiǎo pǐn), short comedy sketches. For everyday reactions, 笑死我了 (xiào sǐ wǒ le), "I'm dying", and 搞笑 (gǎo xiào), funny, will get you a long way.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 喜剧 | xǐ jù | comedy |
| 情景喜剧 | qíng jǐng xǐ jù | sitcom |
| 搞笑 | gǎo xiào | funny; to be funny |
| 笑点 | xiào diǎn | punchline; what makes something funny |
| 笑死我了 | xiào sǐ wǒ le | that's hilarious; I'm dying (laughing) |
| 笑点低 | xiào diǎn dī | easily amused |
| 冷笑话 | lěng xiào hua | lame joke; dad joke |
| 段子 | duàn zi | joke; funny bit |
| 梗 | gěng | running joke; meme; reference |
| 喜剧演员 | xǐ jù yǎn yuán | comedian; comic actor |
| 脱口秀 | tuō kǒu xiù | stand-up comedy; talk show |
| 小品 | xiǎo pǐn | comedy sketch |
| 相声 | xiàng sheng | crosstalk (comic dialogue) |
| 无厘头 | wú lí tóu | nonsensical humour; silly |
| 尴尬 | gān gà | awkward; cringe |
Usage tips
- 笑点 (xiào diǎn) is the "laugh point" of a joke, and 笑点低 (xiào diǎn dī) describes someone who laughs at anything. If you don't get a joke, say 我没看懂笑点 (wǒ méi kàn dǒng xiào diǎn) or 我没听懂 (wǒ méi tīng dǒng).
- 冷笑话 (lěng xiào hua), a "cold joke", is the Chinese equivalent of a dad joke: so lame it makes the room go cold. People often groan 好冷 (hǎo lěng) in response.
- 小品 (xiǎo pǐn) and 相声 (xiàng sheng) are traditional highlights of the televised Spring Festival Gala on Chinese New Year's Eve, so many families know the best-loved lines by heart.
Common mistakes
- English speakers translate "stand-up comedy" word for word as 站立喜剧, which sounds odd. Chinese borrows from "talk show" instead: 脱口秀 (tuō kǒu xiù).
- 尴尬 (gān gà) means awkward or embarrassing, not "funny". If a joke falls flat it's 尴尬; if it lands, say 好笑 (hǎo xiào) or 搞笑 (gǎo xiào).
Mini dialogue
- A你最近在看什么？Nǐ zuì jìn zài kàn shén me?What have you been watching lately?
- B一部情景喜剧，太搞笑了，笑死我了！Yī bù qíng jǐng xǐ jù, tài gǎo xiào le, xiào sǐ wǒ le!A sitcom. It's hilarious, I'm dying!
- A是吗？我看了一集，没看懂笑点。Shì ma? Wǒ kàn le yī jí, méi kàn dǒng xiào diǎn.Really? I watched one episode and didn't get the jokes.
- B多看几集就懂了，里面的梗特别多。Duō kàn jǐ jí jiù dǒng le, lǐ miàn de gěng tè bié duō.Watch a few more and you'll get it. It's full of running jokes.
- A好吧，反正我笑点低。Hǎo ba, fǎn zhèng wǒ xiào diǎn dī.Fine, I'm easily amused anyway.
Example sentences
- 今晚我想看个轻松的喜剧。I want to watch a light comedy tonight.
- 这部情景喜剧我看了好几遍。I've watched this sitcom several times.
- 他演得太搞笑了。His performance was hilarious.
- 这个笑点我没看懂。I didn't get that joke.
- 哈哈哈，笑死我了！Hahaha, I'm dying!
- 我笑点低，什么都觉得好笑。I'm easily amused, I find everything funny.
- 他特别爱讲冷笑话。He loves telling lame jokes.
- 他的段子都是自己写的。He writes all his own material.
- 这个梗你都不知道？You don't even know this meme?
- 他是很有名的喜剧演员。He's a very famous comedian.
- 周末我们去看脱口秀吧。Let's go to a stand-up show this weekend.
- 过年的晚会上总少不了小品。New Year galas always have comedy sketches.
- 我爷爷最爱听相声。My grandpa loves listening to crosstalk.
- 我就喜欢这种无厘头的喜剧。I just love this kind of silly comedy.
- 这个笑话有点尴尬。That joke was a bit cringe.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Comedies & sitcoms speaking island has 8 everyday questions about comedies & sitcoms to prepare your own answers to.