TongTong
Sign in

滑稽剧 (huá jī jù) — farce; slapstick comedy

Definition

A theater genre built on exaggerated action and absurd situations for laughs. 'Farce' in English captures the broad physical humor; 喜剧 (xǐjù) is the more general 'comedy'.

noun
farceslapstick comedy
Measure word · 部

Examples

  • 滑稽剧。
    Zhè bù huá jī jù ràng guān zhòng cóng tóu xiào dào wěi.
    This farce had the audience laughing from start to finish.
  • 滑稽剧，。
    Tā shàn cháng yǎn huá jī jù, dòng zuò tè bié kuā zhāng.
    He's good at performing farce; his movements are especially exaggerated.
  • 滑稽剧。
    Chuán tǒng xì qǔ lǐ yě yǒu huá jī jù de yuán sù.
    Traditional opera also has elements of slapstick comedy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

滑稽funny
滑huá稽jī
剧jùplay

滑稽 as a whole means funny, and 剧 is a play, so 滑稽剧 names a funny play.

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
骨
骨gǔ滑huá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

滑 pairs 水 (water) with 骨, which gives the sound.

Open 滑 →

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
頁頁yèperson's head
Sound part声符shēngfú
旨
旨zhǐ稽jī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

稽 keeps 旨 for the sound; its original form used 頁, a person's head, for the meaning.

Open 稽 →

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 劇; 剧 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刀刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
豦
豦jù劇jù
Same sound today

The traditional form 劇 pairs 豦, which gives the sound, with 刀, a knife; the simplified 剧 is a later shorthand.

Open 剧 →
Appears in
Film & Theater

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.