Chinese word

相声

Pronunciation

Pinyinxiàng shēng

Meaning

  • nouncrosstalk

Example

周末去听相声吧。zhōu mò qù tīng xiàng shēng ba

Let's go listen to crosstalk this weekend.

Illustration for 相声 (crosstalk)

More examples

今晚剧院有相声演出，门票卖得很好。jīn wǎn jù yuàn yǒu xiàng shēng yǎn chū mén piào mài de hěn hǎo

There is a crosstalk performance at the theater tonight, and tickets are selling well.

Core concept

A staged exchange in which two or more performers turn everyday speech, character imitation, and set punch lines into comedy.

Common phrases

  • 听相声tīng xiàng shēng

    listen to crosstalk

  • 看相声表演kàn xiàng shēng biáo yǎn

    watch a crosstalk performance

  • 学相声xué xiàng shēng

    learn crosstalk

Similar words

喜剧xǐ jù: A stage or film genre created to make an audience laugh.
小品xiáo pǐn: A short comic stage or television sketch showing a funny moment from daily life.

Definition in Chinese

源于说书和口技，以语言幽默为核心，借助对答、模仿和段子制造笑点的中国曲艺形式。yuán yú shuō shū hé kǒu jì yǐ yǔ yán yōu mò wèi hé xīn jiè zhù duì dá mó fǎng hé duàn zi zhì zào xiào diǎn de zhōng guó qǔ yì xíng shì

Word origin

The term 相声 (xiàngshēng, "crosstalk") became the established name for a Chinese performance tradition that developed from older storytelling and vocal arts and took dialogue as its central format.

Usage tips

  • In English, crosstalk can also mean interference between communication channels, but the Chinese noun names a performance, so context separates the two senses.

Other meanings

  • comic reparteenoun
  • comic routinenoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 相声演员xiàng shēng yǎn yuáncrosstalk performernoun
  • 相声艺术xiàng shēng yì shùcrosstalk artnoun

Word lists with this word