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双关 (shuāng guān) — (verb phrase) to have a double meaning; to be a pun; (verb phrase) to use a pun or double entendre

Definition

A rhetorical device where a phrase carries two meanings at once — literally a 'double hook'. Refers to the technique itself, not the witty remark producing it.

verb
(verb phrase) to have a double meaningto be a pun(verb phrase) to use a pun or double entendre

Examples

  • 双关。
    Zhè jù guǎng gào cí shuāng guān le chǎn pǐn míng hé jiàn kāng gài niàn.
    This slogan puns on the product name and the concept of health.
  • 双关，。
    Tā zài yǎn jiǎng zhōng gù yì shuāng guān, dòu dé dà jiā hā hā dà xiào.
    He deliberately used puns during his speech, making everyone laugh heartily.
  • 双关。
    Zhè ge xiào hua shuāng guān le liǎng zhǒng wán quán bù tóng de yì si.
    This joke has a double meaning that refers to two completely different things.

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.

双shuāngdouble
关guānrelate

双 means double and 关 means relate, so the word points to a double relation or double meaning.

Characters in this word

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

双 is made of two 又 parts side by side. Repeating 又 gives the sense of a pair.

Open 双 →

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 關; 关 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
門門méndoor
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢇅
𢇅𢇅關guān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 关, the traditional form 關 shows 門 as a door and 𢇅 as two wooden sticks locking it, with ring-like marks on top.

Open 关 →
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