164/365-Learn Chinese Through 5 Funny Chinese Puns!
How to learn Chinese in a fun and relaxing way if you have reached a certain level? Yes, the answer is in the title already. Let’s master Mandarin — through the entertaining Chinese puns!
First of all, let’s learn about why puns are important in language learning:
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.
Chinese puns, with their play on words and cultural nuances, provide a delightful and effective way to absorb linguistic intricacies. For so many of us who are bilingual, we often play “across” languages too.
To make the learning process more engaging, educators can integrate Chinese puns into teaching materials:
- Interactive Games: Create games that encourage students to decipher puns, fostering critical thinking skills while having fun.
- Storytelling: Develop narratives that incorporate puns, allowing students to grasp linguistic nuances within a contextual framework.
- Pun Challenges: Challenge students to create their own puns, promoting creativity and a deeper understanding of the language.
Here are the most iconic examples:
Example 1
Ｑ：要用什麼裝蜜蜂?
Pinyin: Yào yòng shén me zhuāng mìfēng?
English translation: What should be used to contain bees?
Ａ：密封袋
Mì fēng dài
Plastic sealed bag, because it sounds like “蜜蜂袋” (mì fēng dài), which means “bee bag.”
Example 2
Ｑ：哪個行業做菜不用鏟子?
Nǎ ge háng yè zuò cài bú yòng chǎn zi?
In which industry do they not use a spatula for cooking?
Ａ：不動產
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：什麼職業要連續上八天的班?
Shén me zhí yè yào lián xù shàng bā tiān de bān?
In which profession, the workers need to work 8 days consecutively?
Ａ：調酒師
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：什麼東西最有空?
Shén me dōng xī zuì yǒu kòng?
What has the freest 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: 誰煮麵都會失敗？
Shuí zhǔ miàn dūhuì shībài?
Who always cooks failed noodles?
A：蜘蛛人
Zhīzhū rén
Spiderman
This is another super fun cross-language pun. Because “失敗的麵（Shī bài de miàn）” which literally means “failed noodles”, also sounds like Spiderman in English.
By the way, I just realized that there are Spiderman noodles in reality. I hope it tastes better than failed noodles.
Putting humor into the learning process can be powerful. Chinese puns can unlock the door to a more profound understanding of Mandarin.
As we embrace the joy of wordplay, let’s celebrate the beauty of language acquisition through laughter!
May your Mandarin-learning journey be filled with delightful puns!
It’s a blog post I prepared for Chinese language advanced learners.
Feel free to clap or leave comments or feedback!