TongTong
Sign in

闹剧 (nào jù) — farce (a ridiculous and exaggerated comedy or situation); slapstick comedy (physical humor)

Definition

闹剧 means 'farce' — an absurd, chaotic situation that fails to be taken seriously. The second example shows it used metaphorically for a meeting, not just a comedic show.

noun
farce (a ridiculous and exaggerated comedy or situation)slapstick comedy (physical humor)
Measure word · 场

Examples

  • 闹剧，。
    Zhè bù nào jù tài kě xiào le, guān zhòng dōu xiào dé tíng bú xià lái.
    This farce is so hilarious that the audience couldn't stop laughing.
  • 闹剧，。
    Zhěng gè huì yì biàn chéng le yì chǎng nào jù, méi rén rèn zhēn tǎo lùn wèn tí.
    The whole meeting turned into a farce, with no one seriously discussing the issues.
  • 闹剧，。
    Tā xǐ huan kàn nào jù, tè bié shì nà zhǒng kuā zhāng de zhī tǐ xǐ jù.
    He likes watching slapstick comedies, especially those with exaggerated physical humor.

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.

闹nàonoisy
剧jùdrama

闹 noisy and 剧 drama combine for a noisy drama.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鬧; 闹 is its simplified writing.

  • 鬥鬥dòuto fight
  • 市市shìmarket; town

The traditional form 鬧 combines 鬥 (to fight) and 市 (market; town) to mean noisy.

Open 闹 →

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.