Chinese word

闹着玩儿

Pronunciation

Pinyinnào zhe wánr

Meaning

  • verbfool around

Example

别闹着玩儿了，认真点。bié nào zhe wánr le rèn zhēn diǎn

Stop fooling around and be serious.

Illustration for 闹着玩儿 (fool around)

More examples

你别紧张，他只是闹着玩儿而已。nǐ bié jǐn zhāng tā zhǐ shì nào zhe wánr ér yǐ

Don't be nervous; he's just fooling around.

Core concept

Treats a task or another person as part of a game, using jokes, teasing, or mischief instead of serious attention.

Common phrases

  • 闹着玩儿而已nào zhe wánr ér yǐ

    just fool around

  • 跟他闹着玩儿gēn tā nào zhe wánr

    fool around with him

Similar words

开玩笑kāi wán xiào: Using a joke to help everyone feel more relaxed.
逗dòu: Playfully teasing someone to amuse others.
戏弄xì nòng: Teasing someone with an unkind intention for amusement.

Definition in Chinese

指以玩耍、开玩笑或捣乱的方式做某事，不认真对待他人或事情，常带有逗乐或戏谑的评价色彩，属口语表达。zhǐ yǐ wán shuǎ kāi wán xiào huò dǎo luàn de fāng shì zuò mǒu shì bú rèn zhēn duì dài tā rén huò shì qíng cháng dài yǒu dòu lè huò xì xuè de píng jià sè cǎi shǔ kóu yǔ biǎo dá

Word origin

闹着玩儿 (nàozhewánér, "to fool around") joins 闹 (nào, "make a fuss") + 着 (zhe, "in a continuing manner") + 玩儿 (wánr, "play"), presenting a commotion as ongoing play.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may hear harmless fun in the play element, but the Chinese expression can also criticize behavior that disrupts a task or bothers someone.

Other meanings

  • teaseverb
  • joke aroundverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word