口技 (kǒu jì) — vocal mimicry, the Chinese art of sound imitation (not ventriloquism)

Definition

Examples

• 他表演的口技非常精彩，模仿了鸟叫和风声。
  Tā biǎo yǎn de kǒu jì fēi cháng jīng cǎi, mó fǎng le niǎo jiào hé fēng shēng.
  His vocal mimicry performance was very exciting, imitating bird calls and wind sounds.
• 这位艺术家从小学习口技，现在能模仿几十种声音。
  Zhè wèi yì shù jiā cóng xiǎo xué xí kǒu jì, xiàn zài néng mó fǎng jǐ shí zhǒng shēng yīn.
  This artist learned vocal mimicry from childhood and can now imitate dozens of sounds.
• 我昨天在剧院看了一场口技表演，观众都很惊讶。
  Wǒ zuó tiān zài jù yuàn kàn le yì chǎng kǒu jì biǎo yǎn, guān zhòng dōu hěn jīng yà.
  Yesterday I watched a vocal mimicry performance at the theater; the audience was all amazed.

Origin