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包袱

bāofu
noun HSK 7 #8,652

Meanings

  1. 1 bundle (wrapped in cloth)
  2. 2 burden; weight on one's mind
  3. 3 punchline; comedic payoff

Characters

包
bāo
to wrap; package
袱
fu
cloth wrapper
Originally a bundle of belongings wrapped in cloth for carrying. Extended to mean a mental 'burden' you carry, and in comedy, a joke you've been 'wrapping up' to deliver.

Examples

放下思想包袱，轻装上阵。
Fàngxià sīxiǎng bāofu, qīngzhuāng shàngzhèn.
Let go of your mental burdens and go in light.
这个相声的包袱抖得很好。
Zhège xiàngsheng de bāofu dǒu de hěn hǎo.
The punchlines in this crosstalk show were delivered brilliantly.

Tips

culture
In Chinese comedy (especially 相声 xiàngsheng, crosstalk), 抖包袱 (dǒu bāofu, 'to shake out the bundle') means to deliver the punchline. The comedian 'wraps' the joke slowly, building tension, then 'shakes it open' for the laugh. It's the Chinese equivalent of comedic timing.

Stroke Order

包 bāo
袱 fu