调侃

• Pinyin: tiáo kǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 调 = 讠(speech) + 周 — to adjust, tease; 侃 = 亻+ 甚 — to chat, joke

Meaning

To tease; to make fun of; to banter.

Light-hearted teasing or banter between friends or colleagues, without malicious intent. Common in casual conversations and on social media. Different from 嘲笑 (ridicule), which is meaner.

Examples

1. 同事们经常调侃他是公司里的吃货，因为他总是在找零食。 Colleagues often tease him for being the office foodie since he's always looking for snacks.
2. 别往心里去，他只是调侃你，没有恶意。 Don't take it to heart — he was just teasing you, no harm meant.
3. 网友纷纷调侃这位明星的新发型，评论区笑声一片。 Netizens all poked fun at the celebrity's new hairstyle, and the comments section was full of laughter.

Usage Guide

Context: friends, social media, casual

Tone: playful

Do Say

• 我就调侃一下。(I'm just teasing.)
• 别调侃我了。(Stop teasing me.)

Don't Say

• 用'调侃'描述恶意嘲笑 (调侃 implies friendly teasing — for mean ridicule, use 嘲笑 or 讽刺)

Origin & History

调 means to adjust or joke, 侃 means to chat idly — joking and chatting.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal