(kāi wán xiào) - to joke, to make a joke in Mandarin
kāiwánxiàoTraditional: 開玩笑
Translation
to joke, to make a joke
Word origin
开玩笑 means to joke or make a joke, literally to 'open' a joke. 开 (kāi) is to open or set going. 玩 (wán) is to play, with the 王/玉 'jade' radical and phonetic 元. 笑 (xiào) is to laugh, with the 竹 'bamboo' radical over a figure of a person.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 开 (kāi, to set going) + 玩 (wán, to play) + 笑 (xiào, to laugh)
Stroke order
开
玩
笑
Examples
！
I was just joking!
？
Are you joking?
，。
Stop joking around, be serious.
。
Don't joke with me.
。
He likes telling jokes.
开玩笑 (kāi wán xiào) is the standard verb phrase for to joke or to make a joke. 开 means to open or start, 玩 means play, and 笑 means to laugh. Together they describe the act of playing for laughs - making a joke. Common contexts: 我只是开玩笑 (I was just joking), 别开玩笑 (stop joking). The phrase 开个玩笑 (make a joke) is also very frequent. When used seriously it often clarifies or defuses a situation.
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开玩笑: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "开玩笑" (to joke, to make a joke): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 13.