Chinese Comedy | 5 Chinese Funny & Simple Jokes
Chinese jokes are not only an excellent way to learn the language but also to dive deeper into the culture and humor.
Here are five simple yet hilarious Chinese jokes to enjoy and share with your friends.
Chinese Comedy
Chinese comedy has a long history and includes various genres. Let’s explore three of the most popular forms of Chinese comedy.
01. Xiangsheng, or Crosstalk Comedy
Xiangsheng (相声, xiàngsheng) is one of China’s most iconic comedic art forms. It typically involves a humorous dialogue between two performers, though solo and multi-person performances also exist.
xiàngsheng
comic crosstalk; sketch
Here are some key facts about this genre:
- Roots back to the 19th century;
- Originating from Northern China;
- Combines 4 main techniques: speaking, imitating, teasing, and singing.
02. Chinese Skits
Chinese skits (小品 xiǎopǐn) focus on everyday life and relatable humor. These mini-dramas highlight social situations, misunderstandings, and humorous mishaps.
xiǎopǐn
sketch; skit
lit. “little-article”
Here are some key facts about this genre:
- Gained popularity in the 1980s;
- Became a staple of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala;
- Often feature famous actors and comedians.
03. Chinese Stand-Up Comedy
Adapted from Western-style stand-up, Chinese stand-up comedy (清口, qīngkǒu) is a newer phenomenon in China, gaining attraction in major cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou.
qīngkǒu
stand-up comedy
lit. “tasty and refreshing”
Shanghai-style stand-up comedy (海派清口, Hǎipài qīngkǒu) was pioneered by comedian Zhou Libo. It features observational humor about Shanghai’s fast-paced life, work-life balance, and even the city’s high cost of living.
5 Funny and Simple Jokes in Chinese
Before diving in, let’s learn how to say “joke” in Chinese:
xiàohua
joke
lit. “laugh-talk”
01. Vampires 🧛
Xīxuèguǐ xǐhuan chī là ma?
Do vampires like spicy food?
B: 不喜欢，因为他们喜欢不辣的。
Bù xǐhuan, yīnwèi tāmen xǐhuan bú là de.
No, because they like “not spicy.”
The phrase “不辣的” (bú là de, not spicy) sounds like “blood” in English—a classic wordplay joke.
02. Not Simply Handsome 🤵♂️
“Wǒ hǎo shuài” fántǐzì zěnme xiě?
How do you write “I am so handsome” in traditional Chinese characters?
B: 为什么是繁体字？
Wèishénme shì fántǐzì?
Why traditional Chinese?
A: 因为我不是简单的帅。
Yīnwèi wǒ bú shì jiǎndān de shuài.
Because I’m not simply handsome.
This joke plays on the similarity between 简体 (jiǎntǐ, simplified characters) and 简单 (jiǎndān, simple). The punchline implies, “I’m not ‘simplified’ handsome—I’m exceptionally handsome!”
03. Fox 🦊
Nǐ zhīdào húli wèi shénme zhàn bù qǐlái ma?
Do you know why the fox can’t stand up?
B: 因为它狡猾。
Yīnwèi tā jiǎohuá.
Because it’s cunning.
狡猾 (jiǎohuá, cunning) sounds like 脚滑 (jiǎo huá, slippery feet), so the fox is both too sly and too slippery to stand up.
04. Hungry Dreams 🌚
Wèi shénme shuì qián yídìng yào chī yèxiāo?
Why should you always eat a late-night snack before bed?
B: 因为这样才不会做饿梦。
Yīnwèi zhèyàng cái bú huì zuò è mèng.
Because this way you won’t have hungry dreams.
“饿梦” (è mèng, hungry dreams) sounds like “噩梦” (è mèng, nightmare), making it a pun on avoiding nightmares by staying full.
05. Tired Fish 🐟
Wèishénme yú yóu lèi le yě bù tíng xiàlái xiūxi?
Why don’t fish stop to rest even when they’re tired?
B: 因为它们怕被“炒”了。
Yīnwèi tāmen pà bèi “chǎo” le.
Because they’re afraid of being “fried.”
“炒” (chǎo) means both “fry” (as in cooking) and “fired” (as in losing a job). So the fish keep swimming to avoid both.
