闹哄哄 (nào hōng hōng) — (state adjective) noisy and bustling; clamorous…

Definition

A vivid reduplicated adjective for a place that is loudly chaotic and bustling — stronger and more colloquial than 热闹 ('lively, festive'), which can be positive. Often carries a messy, disorderly feel.

adjective

(state adjective) noisy and bustlingclamorousfilled with loudchaotic sound

Examples

闹哄哄，。
Shì chǎng lǐ nào hōng hōng de, dào chù dōu shì tǎo jià huán jià de shēng yīn.
The market was noisy and bustling, with bargaining sounds everywhere.
闹哄哄，。
Jiào shì lǐ nào hōng hōng de, lǎo shī jìn lái hòu cái ān jìng xià lái.
The classroom was noisy and chaotic; it only quieted down after the teacher came in.
，闹哄哄，。
Guò nián de shí hou, jiē shàng zǒng shì nào hōng hōng de, fēi cháng rè nao.
During the New Year, the streets are always noisy and lively, very bustling.

Origin

Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

闹nàonoisy

哄哄clamorous sound

哄hǒngclamorous sound哄hǒngclamorous sound

重叠Reduplication

闹 supplies the noisy sense, while 哄哄 repeats to strengthen the bustling, clamorous atmosphere.

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.

鬥市鬧

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.

口共哄

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 →