忍俊不禁 (rěn jùn bù jīn) — to be unable to suppress a smile or laughter; can't help laughing

Definition

Literally 'cannot restrain one's talent for smiling' — a written idiom meaning one couldn't help laughing, often at something charming or clever rather than purely funny.

idiom
to be unable to suppress a smile or laughtercan't help laughing

Examples

  • ，忍俊不禁。
    Kàn dào tā nà huá jī de yàng zi, wǒ rěn jùn bù jīn.
    Seeing his funny expression, I couldn't help laughing.
  • 忍俊不禁。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng de yōu mò qíng jié ràng guān zhòng rěn jùn bù jīn.
    The humorous plot of this movie made the audience laugh uncontrollably.
  • ，忍俊不禁。
    Lǎo shī jiǎng xiào hua shí, quán bān tóng xué dōu rěn jùn bù jīn.
    When the teacher told a joke, the whole class couldn't help laughing.

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
刃
刃rèn忍rěn
Same sound today

忍 combines 心 (heart) and 刃 (blade). The 刃 part provides the sound, and the 心 part is the heart.

Open 忍 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺅Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
夋
夋qūn俊jùn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

俊 pairs 人 (person) with 夋, which gives the sound; the person part shows it relates to a person.

Open 俊 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
示示shìaltar
Sound part声符shēngfú
林
林lín禁jìn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

禁 has 林 above 示, an altar. The 林 part gives the sound, and the altar part connects the character to taboo or restricted matters.

Open 禁 →

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