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欢声笑语 (huān shēng xiào yǔ) — cheers and laughter, joyful and boisterous atmosphere

Definition

A set phrase for an atmosphere full of cheerful voices and laughter, usually in a gathering. 哄堂大笑 focuses on a single burst of everyone laughing at once, while 欢声笑语 describes the ongoing, ambient sound.

phrase
cheers and laughterjoyful and boisterous atmosphere

Examples

  • 欢声笑语。
    Zhěng gè yàn huì tīng lǐ chōng mǎn le huān shēng xiào yǔ.
    The entire banquet hall was filled with cheers and laughter.
  • ，欢声笑语。
    Hái zi men zài yuàn zi lǐ yóu xì, bù shí chuán lái huān shēng xiào yǔ.
    The children were playing in the yard, and from time to time bursts of laughter could be heard.
  • ，，欢声笑语。
    Xīn nián wǎn huì shàng, dà jiā huān jù yì táng, huān shēng xiào yǔ bú duàn.
    At the New Year party, everyone gathered together, and there was nonstop laughter and cheer.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

欢声joyful voice
欢huānjoyful声shēngvoice
偏正Modifier + head
笑语laughing words
笑xiàolaugh语yǔwords
偏正Modifier + head

The joyful 声 of 欢声 and the laughing 语 of 笑语 together picture cheers and laughter.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 歡; 欢 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
欠欠qiàn
Sound part声符shēngfú
雚
雚guàn歡huān
Same sound today

The traditional form 歡 uses 雚 for the sound and 欠 for the meaning; the simplified 欢 is a later shorthand, so its parts do not carry that history.

Open 欢 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聲; 声 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěrear
Sound part声符shēngfú
殸
殸qìng聲shēng
Same sound today

The traditional form 聲 pairs 耳 (ear) with 殸 as a sound part; the simplified 声 is a shorthand and does not show those original parts.

Open 声 →

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
犬犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
艸
艸cǎo笑xiào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

An early 笑 used the grass 艸 for the sound and the dog 犬 for the meaning; later it was written with 竹 and 夭.

Open 笑 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 語; 语 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
吾
吾wú語yǔ
Same sound today

The form 語 pairs 言 (speech) with 吾, which gives the sound; this note is about 語, not 语.

Open 语 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Idioms & Set Phrases

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