Meaning & use
Chinese pun
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A joke that plays on two Chinese words or phrases that sound the same or similar but mean different things.
Grammar: Countable: 'a Chinese pun' or 'Chinese puns'.
Patterns
- a Chinese pun
- make a Chinese pun
- a Chinese pun on something
He made a Chinese pun about fish and extra money.
The sign uses a Chinese pun to wish customers good luck.
She explained the Chinese pun, but the meaning was lost in English.
nouncountabledisapproving
A joke in English that plays on the word 'Chinese' or on Chinese stereotypes.
Grammar: Countable and often slightly disapproving, because such jokes can offend.
Patterns
- a Chinese pun
- a pun about Chinese
The comedian told a Chinese pun that some people found offensive.
Avoid a Chinese pun that makes fun of how people speak.
Word forms
| plural | Chinese puns |
|---|
Common combinations
- make a Chinese pun
- He loves to make a Chinese pun when he gives a speech.
- a clever Chinese pun
- The advertisement is built on a clever Chinese pun.
- a Chinese pun on a word
- The poem has a Chinese pun on the word for 'home'.
- explain a Chinese pun
- It is hard to explain a Chinese pun to someone who does not speak the language.
Synonyms and how they differ
- play on words
- This is the general term for any pun; use it when the language is not important.
- wordplay
- A wider word for clever use of language, including puns but also other tricks.
Word family
- pun noun
- A joke based on words that sound alike.
- punster noun
- A person who often makes puns.
Commonly confused: Chinese pun or Chinese joke?
Chinese pun vs Chinese joke
A Chinese joke can be any joke from China or about China; a Chinese pun is specifically a play on words.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'Chinese pun' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A pun is about a word, so 'a Chinese pun about the word for fish' is correct. Option 1 is awkward and ungrammatical. Option 2 is missing 'a'. Option 3 wrongly uses a plural after 'a'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Chinese pun”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.