插科打诨

插科打諢

chākē-dǎhùn

idiom #45,690

Meanings

1 to crack jokes
2 to inject comic banter
3 buffoonery (especially on stage)

Characters

stage action (in opera)

joke, witty patter

Examples

HSK 3

别老是插科打诨，我们在谈正事。

Bié lǎoshì chākē-dǎhùn, wǒmen zài tán zhèngshì.

Stop clowning around - we're discussing serious matters.

HSK 5

他在会议上不停地插科打诨。

Tā zài huìyì shàng bùtíng de chākē-dǎhùn.

He kept cracking jokes throughout the meeting.

HSK 7-9

这个相声演员最擅长插科打诨。

Zhège xiàngshēng yǎnyuán zuì shàncháng chākē-dǎhùn.

This crosstalk performer is best at comic banter.

Tips

history

Originally a theatrical term. 科 refers to stage movements and expressions in classical Chinese opera, 诨 to witty patter. The phrase appears in Gao Ming's Ming-dynasty play 《琵琶记》.

memory

Think of it as the Chinese equivalent of 'stage business' or 'comic relief' - the actor inserts (插) a bit of schtick (科) and cracks (打) a joke (诨).

Stroke Order

插 chā

科 kē

打 dǎ

诨 hùn