Calling all Mandarin learners looking to spice up their studies with some laughter! Today, we're ditching the textbooks and diving into the world of Chinese jokes and puns.
Learning a language isn't all memorizing characters and grammar rules. It's about unlocking the culture and humor, and puns are a hilarious way to do just that. Here, we'll explore 10 puns that play on the sounds and meanings of Chinese words. So get ready to giggle your way to better Mandarin!
Summary Of "Top 10 Hilarious Chinese Jokes and Puns!" From The Video Above
Joke 1:
wèi shénme shuì qián yīdìng yào chī yèxiāo?
为什么睡前一定要吃夜宵?
Why must you eat a late-night snack before bed?
yīnwèi zhèyàng cái bú huì zuò è mèng.
因为这样才不会做饿梦。
Because this way you won't have hungry dreams.
The joke plays on the words "饿梦" (è mèng, hungry dream) which sounds like "噩梦" (è mèng), meaning "nightmare." So, eating a snack prevents you from having a "hungry nightmare."
Joke 2:
ǐ zhīdào húlí wèishá zhàn bù qǐlái ma?
你知道狐狸为啥站不起来吗？
Do you know why the fox can't stand up?
yīnwèi tā jiǎohuá.
因为它狡猾。
Because it's cunning.
"狡猾" (jiǎohuá) means "cunning" but sounds like "脚滑" (jiǎo huá), which means "slippery feet". The joke plays on the double meaning, suggesting the fox can't stand because it’s cunning, but also hinting at the literal meaning of having slippery feet.
Joke 3:
yī duǒ huā wèishénme hǎoxiào?
一朵花为什么好笑?
Why is a flower funny?
yīnwèi tā yǒu gěng.
因为它有梗。
Because it has a stem.
The pun here is on the word "梗" (gěng, stem) which also means "a joke or a punchline" in internet slang. The joke plays on the dual meaning, with the stem of the flower being the reason it's funny.
Joke 4:
Jīntiān yī tóngshì lái shàngbān, kànjiàn tā tóufǎ duǎnle, wǒ shuō: “Zěnme bǎ tóufǎ jiǎnle, shì bù shì liángkuai?”
今天一同事来上班，看见他头发短了，我说：“怎么把头发剪了，是不是凉快？”
Today a colleague came to work, and I noticed his hair was shorter. I said, "Why did you cut your hair? Feeling cool?"
Tā yī liǎn zhēnchéng de duì wǒ shuō: “Bù shì liǎng kuài, shì èrshíbā kuài!”
他一脸真诚的对我说：“不是两块，是二十八块！”
He sincerely replied, "Not 2 RMB, it cost 28 RMB."
"凉快" (liángkuai) means "cool" but sounds like "两块" (liǎng kuài), which means "two RMB" (i.e. the Chinese currency). The colleague misunderstood, thinking it was about the price, not the comfort.
Joke 5:
Wǎn hé kuàizi shì hǎo péngyǒu, wǎn sǐle, kuàizi hěn shāngxīn shuō: wǎn ān!
碗和筷子是好朋友，碗死了，筷子很伤心说：碗安！
The bowl and the chopsticks are good friends. The bowl died, and the chopsticks sadly said, "Rest in peace!"
The characters "碗” (wǎn) and “安" (ān) literally translate to “bowl” “peace”. They also sound exactly like the Chinese word for goodnight "晚安" (wǎn ān). So the joke plays on the similar sounds to create a humorous farewell from the chopsticks to the bowl.
Joke 6:
Yī nǚrén lái nánrén jiā wán, nǚrén tiáoxì nánrén shuō: “Nǐ yào shì yǒu kuài dì, wǒ jiù hé nǐ jiéhūn.”
一女人来男人家玩，女人调戏男人说：“你要是有块地，我就和你结婚。”
A woman came to a man's house to hang out, The woman teased the man saying: “If you have a piece of land, I'll marry you.”
Zhè shí, ménlíng xiǎngle, kuàidì xiǎogē shuō: “Xiānshēng, nǐ yǒu kuàidì!”
这时，门铃响了，快递小哥说：“先生，你有快递！”
At that moment, the doorbell rang, The delivery guy said: “Sir, you have a package!”
The pun here is on the words "块地" (kuài dì, a piece of land) and "快递" (kuàidì, express delivery/package). The woman is flirting, implying she would marry the man if he had land, but the delivery guy’s arrival with a package, leads to the humorous twist.
Joke 7:
Dàjiā hǎo! Wǒ shì yī zhī pángxiè, wǒ de qiánzi méile, wǒ méi qián le.
大家好！我是一只螃蟹，我的钳子没了，我没钳了。
Hello everyone! I’m a crab. My claws are gone, I have no claws.
The pun here is on the phrase "没钳了" (méi qián le, no claw) which sounds like "没钱了" (méi qián le, no money). The crab's lament about losing its claw humorously doubles as a statement about being broke.
Joke 8:
“Wǒ yǒu yī fèn ràng rén jīngyà de gōngzuò.”
“我有一份让人惊讶的工作。”
"I have a surprising job."
“Shénme gōngzuò?”
“什么工作？”
"What job?"
“Wā ǒu.”
“挖藕。”
"Digging lotus roots."
The pun here is on the phrase "挖藕" (wā ǒu, digging lotus roots) which sounds like "哇哦" (wā òu, wow). The punchline is the surprising and mundane nature of the job, but it sounds like an expression of amazement.
Joke 9:
tiān shàng de xīngxīng duō zhòng?
天上的星星多重？
How much do the stars in the sky weigh?
bù zhīdào!
不知道！
I don't know!
bā kè.
八克。
Eight grams.
nǐ zěnme zhīdào?
你怎么知道？
How do you know?
yīnwèi xīng bā kè.
因为星巴克。
Because of Starbucks.
The pun here is on the words "星巴克" (Xīngbākè, Starbucks) which sounds like "星八克" (xīng bā kè, star eight grams). The joke plays on the brand name Starbucks sounding like "star eight grams,". This gives a whimsical answer to the weight of stars.
Joke 10:
wèishéme xīnqíng bù hǎo de shíhou zǒng huì xiǎng chī dōngxi?
为什么心情不好的时候总会想吃东西？
Why do we always want to eat when we're feeling down?
yīnwèi shāngxīn yù jué.
因为伤心欲嚼。
Because sadness makes us want to chew.
The pun here is on the phrase "伤心欲嚼" (shāngxīn yù jiáo, sadness leads to chewing) which sounds like "伤心欲绝" (shāngxīn yù jué, heartbroken). The joke links emotional distress with the desire to eat, creating a playful twist on the similar sounds.
You might also find these posts interesting: