包袱 (bāo fu) — a bundle wrapped in cloth; (figurative) a burden, something weighing on one's mind; (in crosstalk/comedy) the punchline, a comedic twist or payoff
Definition
Literally a cloth-wrapped bundle, extended figuratively to mean a mental burden. In 相声 (crosstalk), 包袱 is the specific term for the punchline — not just any joke, but the set-up and payoff that drives the routine.
noun
a bundle wrapped in cloth(figurative) a burdensomething weighing on one's mind(in crosstalk/comedy) the punchlinea comedic twist or payoff
Measure word · 个
Examples
- 包袱。Tā bēi zhe yí gè dà bāo fu.He is carrying a large bundle on his back.
- 包袱。Bié bǎ guò qù de shī bài dàng chéng xīn lǐ bāo fu.Don't treat past failures as a psychological burden.
- 包袱。Zhè ge xiàng sheng de bāo fu fēi cháng hǎo xiào.The punchline of this crosstalk routine is very funny.
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