喜剧

• Pinyin: xǐ jù
• Hanzi breakdown: 喜 = 壴 + 口, happiness/joy; 剧 = 豦 + 刂 (knife), drama/intense

Meaning

Comedy; comedic drama.

A genre of drama or film intended to make audiences laugh. Contrasted with 悲剧 (tragedy). Includes stand-up comedy, romantic comedies, sitcoms, and comedic films. Common terms include 喜剧演员 (comedian), 喜剧片 (comedy film), 喜剧效果 (comedic effect).

Examples

1. 周末我喜欢看喜剧片放松一下。 On weekends I like watching comedies to relax.
2. 这部喜剧的票房打破了国产电影的纪录。 This comedy broke box office records for domestic films.
3. 他是个很有天赋的喜剧演员，表演总是让人捧腹大笑。 He's a very talented comedian whose performances always have people laughing uncontrollably.

Usage Guide

Context: entertainment, film, theater

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 这是一部喜剧。(This is a comedy.)
• 喜剧演员很难当。(Being a comedian is hard.)

Don't Say

• 这件事真是个喜剧 for something ironically funny in life — while the metaphor exists, it sounds literary; 真是搞笑 or 太逗了 is more natural

Origin & History

Compound of 喜 (happy/joy) + 剧 (drama/play), meaning a drama that brings joy.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal