TongTong
Sign in

起哄 (qǐ hòng) — to heckle, to jeer (at a performer or speaker); to join a crowd in making a disturbance, to create an uproar

Definition

起哄 means to heckle or make a ruckus together, usually as a group joining in against someone. Lighter than 闹事 ('cause real trouble') and 骚乱 ('riot'); more directed noise than 喧闹 or 喧哗.

verb
to heckleto jeer (at a performer or speaker)to join a crowd in making a disturbance, to create an uproar

Examples

  • 起哄，。
    Guān zhòng zài tái xià qǐ hòng, yǎn yuán hěn gān gà.
    The audience heckled from below the stage, and the actor was very embarrassed.
  • ？
    Tā men jǐ gè zài páng biān qǐ shén me hǒng?
    What are those guys making a fuss about over there?
  • 起哄，。
    Bié gēn zhe xiā qǐ hòng le, nà shì rén jiā de shì.
    Stop blindly joining in the ruckus — that's their business.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

起qǐstart
哄hǒnguproar

「起」as start or raise, 「哄」as uproar: together they describe raising a rowdy disturbance.

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
走走zǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
巳
巳sì起qǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

起 is made from 走 and 巳: 走 is the part connected with walking or running, and 巳 gives the sound.

Open 起 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
共
共gòng哄hōng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

哄 is made from 口, the mouth part, and 共, the part that gives its sound.

Open 哄 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Conflict & Agreement

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