Chinese humor and jokes

[timb]

One thing I am curious about is Chinese humor. Story and joke telling. Does it exist? I get a sense from the Chinese movies I watched that Chinese and Westerns views of humor can be same, situational things that I thought were funny and were meant to be funny.

 

Anyone have any examples of stories or jokes that translate well to show that Eastern humor is similar or different than Western humor?

 

I know that some humor you must have a deep understanding of what the humor relates to, or there is no foundation to understand why something was supposed to be funny.

 

For example, my ex-wife was Russian,and they seem to love to tell Chuckcha stories. Kinda the way Western born Americans might pick on the immigrate polish. Some translated well, others, you had to understand something about Chuckha to know why it was funny.

 

I remember sitting down and watching Jerry Sinfield with her when she was here for a year or two, but she didn't laugh once. Then after about 4 years or so, she was laughing hysterically. She just wasn't fluent enough to get the subtle humor.

 

TimB

[Meelo]

One thing I am curious about is Chinese humor. Story and joke telling. Does it exist? I get a sense from the Chinese movies I watched that Chinese and Westerns views of humor can be same, situational things that I thought were funny and were meant to be funny.

 

Anyone have any examples of stories or jokes that translate well to show that Eastern humor is similar or different than Western humor?

 

I know that some humor you must have a deep understanding of what the humor relates to, or there is no foundation to understand why something was supposed to be funny.

 

For example, my ex-wife was Russian,and they seem to love to tell Chuckcha stories. Kinda the way Western born Americans might pick on the immigrate polish. Some translated well, others, you had to understand something about Chuckha to know why it was funny.

 

I remember sitting down and watching Jerry Sinfield with her when she was here for a year or two, but she didn't laugh once. Then after about 4 years or so, she was laughing hysterically. She just wasn't fluent enough to get the subtle humor.

 

TimB

 

My wife can't stand Sienfeld. Just like you said she just isn't fluent enough to understand. Chinese humor I have noticed goes a lot with playing with words. They say words that have the same sounds as plain meanings, but mean something really different.

 

My wife is at work now, but when she gets back I will have her tell me some jokes and more about their humor.

[TootTaLu]

One thing I am curious about is Chinese humor. Story and joke telling. Does it exist? I get a sense from the Chinese movies I watched that Chinese and Westerns views of humor can be same, situational things that I thought were funny and were meant to be funny.

 

Anyone have any examples of stories or jokes that translate well to show that Eastern humor is similar or different than Western humor?

 

I know that some humor you must have a deep understanding of what the humor relates to, or there is no foundation to understand why something was supposed to be funny.

 

For example, my ex-wife was Russian,and they seem to love to tell Chuckcha stories. Kinda the way Western born Americans might pick on the immigrate polish. Some translated well, others, you had to understand something about Chuckha to know why it was funny.

 

I remember sitting down and watching Jerry Sinfield with her when she was here for a year or two, but she didn't laugh once. Then after about 4 years or so, she was laughing hysterically. She just wasn't fluent enough to get the subtle humor.

 

TimB

If I play a Three Stooges,or Marx Brothers or some such slapstick,my wife laughs uncontrolably.

She likes modern TV and comedy DVDs also.

 

One thing,if jokes are being translated on a Seinfeld DVD,the punch lines are simplified,and the concept of "Soup Nazi" is not explained,rather they would just call that guy "really mean cook".

The joke still works.

Much like it is IMPOSSIBLE to explain most jokes to deaf people,because they dont understand the humorous "word play".

Rhyming also has a lot to do with telling jokes.

 

I never had any problem explaining a joke in person to Chinese speaking people.They get it.

[warpedbored]

Chinese joke, "you are a Germany car" Benz = stupid or idiot.

 

Benz as in Mercedes Benz.

[A Mafan]

One thing I am curious about is Chinese humor. Story and joke telling. Does it exist? I get a sense from the Chinese movies I watched that Chinese and Westerns views of humor can be same, situational things that I thought were funny and were meant to be funny.

 

Anyone have any examples of stories or jokes that translate well to show that Eastern humor is similar or different than Western humor?

 

I know that some humor you must have a deep understanding of what the humor relates to, or there is no foundation to understand why something was supposed to be funny.

 

For example, my ex-wife was Russian,and they seem to love to tell Chuckcha stories. Kinda the way Western born Americans might pick on the immigrate polish. Some translated well, others, you had to understand something about Chuckha to know why it was funny.

 

I remember sitting down and watching Jerry Sinfield with her when she was here for a year or two, but she didn't laugh once. Then after about 4 years or so, she was laughing hysterically. She just wasn't fluent enough to get the subtle humor.

 

TimB

A point I'd like to emphasize: it's not "eastern" vs "western" humor.

It is Chinese vs American.

British Humor is different than American. We think British non-sequitors and exaggerated over-/under-statements are hilarious, but the British don't seem to find American humor as funny.

And Japanese humor is freaking weird. Very little of their humor translates into English at all. Or into Chinese.

 

Here's the joke that made me realize Chinese humor and American humor are compatible. It was in a language lesson, and my wife found it just as humorous as I did:

A little boy who was usually very naughty came home and bragged to his dad: "Today I found $5 on the bus and gave it back to the man who had dropped it!"

His dad said, "Wow! That's great!" (wanting to check to see his son understood the value of honesty) "So why did you give it back to him?"

The boy: "Because he had grabbed hold of my ear!"

 

Anyway, just like we have puns and slapstick and standup, China has different forms of humor, too.

 

Cross-talk is much like our vaudeville. Puns are usually considered very high art/humor, unlike puns in English which just make you groan.

Lots of Chinese humor involves making fun of the rural folk, too. Although I suppose it is possible that much of rural humor involves making fun of city folk, but I have no direct experience with that.

[michaln]

ling tells(acts out) a joke where a couple have a blind date

the man walks with stiff legs and the lady is stooped over at the waist

upon meeting not wanting the man to notice her bent over back she points

under a table and says a mouse a mouse so the man walks over stomping his stiff legs and says kill mouse kill mouse

had me laughing to watch her tell this joke

most of the jokes I tell her don't translate well

[Guest Tony n Terrific]

Last night I told my wife a grade school joke about Jello. She did not know what Jello was. After 45 minutes explaining about Gelatin deserts and their qualities she said she did not think it was funny and now she wishes for me to send her some. We learned alot about Jello last night.

[joannaliu]

Personally I think jokes and humors is cultural-loaded. It has a lot to do with one's upbringing background. The following is a joke of Deng xiaoping's Sichuan Dialect in China. It seems English and Sichuan Dialect is compatible here.

 

1)八十年代邓小平访问美国，刚出门就被一群记者拦住了，恰好翻译不在，美国记者又想考考邓小平英语，就开始提问了。

第一个问题是：美国首都是哪里？

邓小平想，见面第一个问题肯定是先问姓，就用四川土话回答：我姓邓(Washington）

记者想，啊，继续问：您的夫人来了都做了什么事？

邓小平想，该问名了吧，回答：小平（shopping）

记者想，这英语可以啊，来了就购物，又接着问：您如何出行？

邓小平想，该问年纪了吧，回答：80（bus）

记者都说，这英语可以啊，不行，得问点难的不好回答的，问：您认为台湾下任领导会是谁？

邓小平怎么都等不到翻译回来，不耐烦了，说：你等会（李登辉）

记者大吃一惊，这么敏感的问题也对答如流，估计翻译也该回来了，赶紧再问个：下个呢？

邓小平已经很不高兴了，说：随便啦（水扁啦）

这时候翻译已经走过来了，记者问最后一个：二十一世纪初期人类面临的最大问题是什么？

邓小平黑着脸说：啥事（SARS）

二十年后，美国记者感叹，邓小平真是一代伟人，料事如神！

 

English Version of 1)--

 

When Deng visited the US in the 1980s, he was asked the following questions by the American reporters who wanted to test Deng's English in the absence of his interpreter.

 

a) Do you know the capital city of the US?

Deng was thinking: it is usual to ask one's name for the first time. So she answered it in Sichuan Dialect: Wo xing deng. (Washington).

 

b)Seeing that he could understand a bit, the reporter continued asking: "what does you wife do when she gets here."

Deng was pondering that maybe they were asking me the given name now and responded: Xiaoping(shopping).

 

c) His English is not bad, the reporter thought. "How do you go traveling while you are here?" Deng was guessing that maybe they are asking my age now so he answered without second thought. "ba shi---eighty(bus)"

 

d) All the reporters were astonished by how good Deng's English is and someone suggested asking a more difficult question. "Who do you think will be the next leader of Taiwan?" Deng was looking for his interpreter to come back but still didn't see and he answered impatiently: "ni deng hui--wait a moment(li denghui)"

 

e) The reporters were so shocked at his answer to the difficult and sensitive question and continued asking "Who will be the one after Li denghui?" Deng felt annoyed now and said Suibian la--what the hell.(chen shuibian)

 

The reporter asked the last question when the interpreter cam back. "What do you think is the most challenging thing for the human being in the 21 century." When deng saw the interpreter and got angry at him : Sha shi--what happened?. (SARS).

 

In twenty years, American reporters exclaimed with admiration: Deng is for sure a great leader. He can predict things like prophet.

 

2) One day a Chinese woman witnessed a car accident. When being asked to describe what she saw, she had trouble making herself understood. Her English is not that good. So she tried with her body gesture: Oh. u see. One car come, one car go. two car bengbeng, one guy die.

Edited November 29, 2008 by joannaliu (see edit history)

[natrigon]

Well like others said there is two problems with USA humor to a Chinese person. First is the translation... often the humorous part is a slight nuance in changing of words. In that case it just doesn't work unless the Chinese person is highly skilled at English... and even then. More difficult is the different culture, I think our USA humor is just different. In 5 years together several of our few arguments are from failed humor attempts. But I must admit she doesn't always understand the joke but she get's that my meaning is not offensive.

[Richard & Li]

I agree: American and Chinese humor are compatiable.

 

Li & I find a lot of the same things funny.

 

Her English isn't up to finding the humor in a show like Seinfeld (unless Kramer is doing physical comedy). She likes some of the stuff on old I Love Lucy shows. Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther movies cracks her up (me too, especially Kato's sneak attacks).

[warpedbored]

Good one joannaliu.

Personally I think jokes and humors is cultural-loaded. It has a lot to do with one's upbringing background. The following is a joke of Deng xiaoping's Sichuan Dialect in China. It seems English and Sichuan Dialect is compatible here.

 

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English Version of 1)--

 

When Deng visited the US in the 1980s, he was asked the following questions by the American reporters who wanted to test Deng's English in the absence of his interpreter.

 

a) Do you know the capital city of the US?

Deng was thinking: it is usual to ask one's name for the first time. So she answered it in Sichuan Dialect: Wo xing deng. (Washington).

 

b)Seeing that he could understand a bit, the reporter continued asking: "what does you wife do when she gets here."

Deng was pondering that maybe they were asking me the given name now and responded: Xiaoping(shopping).

 

c) His English is not bad, the reporter thought. "How do you go traveling while you are here?" Deng was guessing that maybe they are asking my age now so he answered without second thought. "ba shi---eighty(bus)"

 

d) All the reporters were astonished by how good Deng's English is and someone suggested asking a more difficult question. "Who do you think will be the next leader of Taiwan?" Deng was looking for his interpreter to come back but still didn't see and he answered impatiently: "ni deng hui--wait a moment(li denghui)"

 

e) The reporters were so shocked at his answer to the difficult and sensitive question and continued asking "Who will be the one after Li denghui?" Deng felt annoyed now and said Suibian la--what the hell.(chen shuibian)

 

The reporter asked the last question when the interpreter cam back. "What do you think is the most challenging thing for the human being in the 21 century." When deng saw the interpreter and got angry at him : Sha shi--what happened?. (SARS).

 

In twenty years, American reporters exclaimed with admiration: Deng is for sure a great leader. He can predict things like prophet.

 

2) One day a Chinese woman witnessed a car accident. When being asked to describe what she saw, she had trouble making herself understood. Her English is not that good. So she tried with her body gesture: Oh. u see. One car come, one car go. two car bengbeng, one guy die.

[Lance]

From my limited experience of having lived in Lanzhou and Shanghai for a total of 12 years, I found most Chinese humor to be slapstick or Jerry Lewis style, such as presented on the TV gala for eve of Spring Festival. An exception was a movie I watched about a match-making service. I forget the name, but something like "If This Is the One". The male lead actor had shaved scalp, and his humor was subtle and droll, but made me laugh out loud. I rarely find humor that satisfying. I compare this to Chinese workmanship before recent years – most of it is dreadful, because there is low demand for higher quality. It isn't that Chinese workers were not capable of higher quality before 2000; they simply don't find a large domestic market for it.

 

About Den Xiaoping joke, wouldn't his pronunciation of "Sha shi" be "sa si"? I got confused my first visit to Sichuan when a fruit vendor told me the price was 十 块. I thought he said 四块. My tones were not good enough for me to notice any difference.

 

Oh, about the car crash description, shouldn't that be "two car pengpeng"?

Edited August 13, 2017 by Lance (see edit history)

[Greg.D.]

Lance, welcome to this website!

 

I believe that literally EVERYONE who posted in that thread is gone, including a fine gentleman who just passed away.

 

I am glad to see you resuscitated a thread and hope someone can respond to your comments!

[Randy W]

From my limited experience of having lived in Lanzhou and Shanghai for a total of 12 years, I found most Chinese humor to be slapstick or Jerry Lewis style, such as presented on the TV gala for eve of Spring Festival. An exception was a movie I watched about a match-making service. I forget the name, but something like "If This Is the One". The male lead actor had shaved scalp, and his humor was subtle and droll, but made me laugh out loud. I rarely find humor that satisfying. I compare this to Chinese workmanship before recent years – most of it is dreadful, because there is low demand for higher quality. It isn't that Chinese workers were not capable of higher quality before 2000; they simply don't find a large domestic market for it.

 

About Den Xiaoping joke, wouldn't his pronunciation of "Sha shi" be "sa si"? I got confused my first visit to Sichuan when a fruit vendor told me the price was 十 块. I thought he said 四块. My tones were not good enough for me to notice any difference.

 

Oh, about the car crash description, shouldn't that be "two car pengpeng"?

 

 

Yes - one thing China has done fairly successfully is to standardize the pinyin spellings to NOT reflect regional accents (my wife has a "southern accent" and likewise pronounces the 'sh' sound as 's'). The numbers 4, 10, and 11 seem to be easily confused around here. I think the pinyin will eventually help standardize Mandarin pronunciations, since children are taught pinyin spellings along with the Chinese characters.

 

The Deng Xiaoping jokes seem to make more sense when you use the southern accent, rather than the pinyin directly.

 

and yes - the 'bengbeng' joke seems to use a phonetic rather than the correct pinyin spelling to emphasize the joke.

 

Welcome to CFL.