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开玩笑 (kāi wán xiào) — Chinese word meaning

HSK 4

开玩笑 (kāi wán xiào) is a Chinese word: to joke. This page shows its pinyin, translation, example sentences, character breakdown, decomposition, and HSK level.

Meaning of 开玩笑

短语 duǎn yǔ phrase

to joke

我只是开玩笑，别当真。

wǒ zhǐ shì kāi wán xiào bié dàng zhēn

I'm just joking, don't take it seriously.

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Word breakdown

开 kāi — to start, to initiate (the action of joking)

Words with this character (50)
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玩 wán — to play, fun (indicating non-serious activity)

Words with this character (7)
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  • 6 玩意儿 wán yìr — thing HSK 7
    • 玩 play, toy (contributes the sense of object or plaything)
    • 意 idea, meaning (serves as a generic noun component)
    • 儿 diminutive suffix (adds colloquial, informal tone)
    Example

    这是什么玩意儿？

    zhè shì shén me wán yìr

    What is this thing?

  • 7 玩耍 wán shuǎ — to play HSK 7
    • 玩 play, engage in amusement
    • 耍 frolic, play freely
    Example

    孩子们在公园里玩耍。

    hái zi men zài gōng yuán lǐ wán shuǎ

    The children are playing in the park.

笑 xiào — laughter, humor (completing the meaning of joking)

Words with this character (16)
  • 1 好笑 hǎo xiào — funny HSK 4
    • 好 easy to; indicates positive quality
    • 笑 laugh; the action provoked
    Example

    这个笑话真好笑。

    zhè ge xiào hua zhēn hǎo xiào

    This joke is really funny.

  • 2 笑话 xiào hua — joke HSK 4
    • 笑 to laugh
    • 话 about, regarding (verbal complement)
    Example

    他讲了一个很好笑的笑话。

    tā jiǎng le yí gè hěn hǎo xiào de xiào hua

    He told a very funny joke.

  • 3 微笑 wēi xiào — smile HSK 5
    • 微 slight, gentle, subtle
    • 笑 smile, laugh
    Example

    她对我微笑。

    tā duì wǒ wēi xiào

    She smiled at me.

  • 4 嘲笑 cháo xiào — to mock HSK 6
    • 嘲 to ridicule, to mock
    • 笑 to laugh
    Example

    他们嘲笑我的口音。

    tā men cháo xiào wǒ de kǒu yīn

    They mocked my accent.

  • 5 笑容 xiào róng — smile HSK 6
    • 笑 smile, laugh (the smiling action/expression)
    • 容 facial expression, countenance (the visible appearance)
    Example

    她脸上总是带着温暖的笑容。

    tā liǎn shang zǒng shì dài zhe wēn nuǎn de xiào róng

    She always wears a warm smile on her face.

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Structure & writing
1 开 kāi — to open (something closed, opposite of 关/合)
开 is a component in 5 characters
HSK 4
并 bìng to merge; to combine into one 研 yán to grind finely
HSK 5
形 xíng appearance; shape
HSK 7
刑 xíng criminal punishment; legal penalty imposed by the state on offenders 荆 jīng chaste tree (a deciduous shrub with long-stalked palmate leaves, blue-purple flowers, and tough branches used for weaving baskets; branches formerly used as a flogging instrument)

开 is an atomic character — it does not decompose further.

Stroke order

2 玩 wán — to play (a game)

玩 is not used as a component in any other character.

consists of

2.1 王 wáng — monarch; supreme ruler
王 is a component in 33 characters
HSK 1
玩 wán to play (a game) 现 xiàn to appear; to show; to manifest 班 bān a group organized for work or study
HSK 2
望 wàng to look, to look into the distance 球 qiú sphere (geometric solid equidistant from center to all surface points)
HSK 3
丢 diū to lose; to misplace 主 zhǔ owner; one who possesses property or power 环 huán ring-shaped object 理 lǐ to govern; to manage; to administer
HSK 4
琴 qín guqin, a plucked string instrument made of paulownia wood, originally with five strings, later seven
HSK 5
润 rùn to moisten; to add oil or water to prevent dryness 狂 kuáng mentally deranged; insane; mad 玉 yù jade; a fine-grained, hard, lustrous mineral used for ornaments and carvings 玫 méi (lit.) a type of beautiful stone or jade 玻 bō see "玻璃": a hard, brittle, transparent material with no fixed melting point, made by melting quartz sand, limestone, soda ash, etc. at high temperature
Show more HSK 5 characters (+3)
珍 zhēn treasure; precious thing 瑰 guī (lit.) a jade-like stone 璃 li see '玻璃': ① hard, brittle transparent material (glass); ② glass-like plastic
HSK 6
呈 chéng to take on (a form, color, or state); to appear as 珠 zhū pearl (also written 真珠), a lustrous spherical gem formed inside certain freshwater or marine mollusks, used in medicine and as an ornament 皇 huáng monarch; emperor
HSK 7
噩 è frightful and ominous; horrifying and inauspicious 斑 bān spots or stripes of a contrasting color 旺 wàng prosperous; flourishing; (of fire) blazing fiercely 枉 wǎng crooked, bent; referring to error or deviation 汪 wāng (lit.) deep and vast (of water)
Show more HSK 7 characters (+7)
琐 suǒ trivial, trifling, petty 琢 zuó to ponder repeatedly; to mull over (见"琢磨") 瑕 xiá flaw or blemish in jade; fig. defect or shortcoming 瑞 ruì auspicious omen; good luck 璀 cuǐ (lit.) bright and brilliant in color 璨 càn (lit.) fine jade 碧 bì (lit.) blue-green jade
2.2 元 yuán — the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), founded by Kublai Khan
元 is a component in 6 characters
HSK 1
玩 wán to play (a game)
HSK 2
完 wán complete; whole; intact 远 yuǎn far; distant (in space or time, opposite of 近)
HSK 3
园 yuán garden (for growing vegetables, flowers, or fruit)
HSK 5
冠 guàn (lit.) to put on a hat (in ancient times, a capping ceremony at age 20 marked adulthood)
HSK 6
顽 wán stupid; ignorant

Stroke order

3 笑 xiào — to smile or laugh with joy

笑 is not used as a component in any other character.

consists of

3.1 ⺮ zhú — bamboo radical
⺮ is a component in 31 characters
HSK 1
第 dì prefix placed before integers to indicate ordinal number (e.g. 第一, 第十)
HSK 2
笑 xiào to smile or laugh with joy 笔 bǐ writing or drawing instrument; pen, brush 等 děng equal in quantity, status, or degree 篮 lán basket (made of rattan, bamboo, or wicker, with a handle)
HSK 3
答 dá to answer, to reply 筷 kuài chopsticks (~子: thin sticks of bamboo, wood, metal, etc. used to pick up food) 简 jiǎn simple, simplified (opposite of 繁) 算 suàn to calculate; to count 箱 xiāng box; chest; trunk (a rectangular container with a lid for storing or transporting goods or clothing)
HSK 4
符 fú tally or token used by the imperial court to convey orders or mobilize troops, made of metal, jade, bamboo, or wood, split in two halves 笨 bèn stupid; slow-witted 签 qiān to sign one's name or mark on a document to indicate responsibility 管 guǎn bamboo tube; pipe; tube 篇 piān a structurally complete literary or poetic work; a major section of a larger work
Show more HSK 4 characters (+1)
籍 jí books; records and catalogues
HSK 5
筑 zhù to build; to construct
HSK 6
笼 lóng cage or basket made of bamboo, wood, or wire for holding birds, animals, or objects 筒 tǒng thick bamboo tube 策 cè ancient bamboo or wooden strips compiled into a bound volume 筛 shāi sieve; screen made of bamboo strips or wire with small holes to separate fine from coarse material 筹 chóu tally stick; thin strip of bamboo, wood, or ivory used for counting or as a token
Show more HSK 6 characters (+1)
箭 jiàn arrow (ancient weapon with a pointed tip and feathered shaft, shot from a bow or crossbow)
HSK 7
竿 gān bamboo pole, the main stem of bamboo 笛 dí dizi (Chinese transverse bamboo flute) 筋 jīn tendon or ligament connecting muscle to bone 筐 kuāng basket woven from bamboo or wicker 筝 zhēng guzheng (Chinese zither), a plucked string instrument
Show more HSK 7 characters (+3)
篷 péng awning or canopy (made of bamboo, matting, or canvas, esp. on vehicles or boats) for shelter from sun, wind, and rain 簇 cù to cluster together; to gather in a group 簸 bǒ to winnow (grain) by shaking in a flat basket to remove husks and chaff
3.2 夭 yāo — to die young; premature death
夭 is a component in 4 characters
HSK 2
笑 xiào to smile or laugh with joy
HSK 6
沃 wò (of land) fertile, rich 跃 yuè to leap; to jump
HSK 7
妖 yāo demon; monster; supernatural creature in myths and legends

Stroke order