戏称 (hū) — to jokingly call (someone something), to give a playful nickname
Definition
戏称 (xì chēng) means to give someone or something a playful, jokey nickname or label — a fixed verb, not a casual synonym for 说 ('say'). Often used in 被/是 constructions, e.g. 被戏称为 'jokingly called'.
verb
to jokingly call (someone something)to give a playful nickname
Examples
- ，戏称“”。Tā yīn wèi gè zi gāo, bèi tóng xué men hū wèi "cháng jǐng lù".Because he's tall, his classmates jokingly call him 'giraffe'.
- 戏称“”，。Zhè ge chéng shì hū wèi "bú yè chéng", yīn wèi wǎn shàng yě hěn rè nao.This city is jokingly called the 'city that never sleeps' because it's lively at night too.
- ，戏称“”。Tā zǒng ài áo yè, péng you men hū tā shì "yè māo zi".She always stays up late, so her friends jokingly call her a 'night owl'.
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