A Mouth-spitting Chinese Word for Funny

Look at the photo above. What verb would you use to describe this act?

In Chinese, there are many ways as well, but the word that is flying around the internet lately is “笑喷 (xiàopēn).” The word “笑 (xiào)” means “laugh” and “喷 (pēn)” means “spurt, spray.” It is the act of suddenly spitting liquid out of one’s mouth when hearing something hilarious. This term originated as a showbiz term, but it is now used in everyday life.

Although this word is the act of spitting something out while laughing, it has more of a broad meaning to describe something that is funny. It can literally mean you spit something out, or it can just mean you laughed until you were crying.

Look at the examples below to get a better understanding of this:

Examples:

Kàn dào zhè zhāng mànhuà, wǒ jiǎnzhí yào xiàopēn le.
看    到   这   张       漫画，   我   简直    要   笑喷   了。
I simply wanted to laugh until I spit when I read this manga.

Jack zài kètīng jiǎng le gè xiàohuà, jiārénmen dōu xiàopēn le.
Jack  在   客厅  讲   了 个   笑话，  家人们      都    笑喷   了。
The joke Jack told in the living room had everyone laughing on the spot.

Chīfàn de shíhòu zuìhǎo bú yào kàn zōngyì jiēmù, yíbùxiǎoxīn jiù huì xiàopēn.
吃饭    的  时候    最好   不   要  看   综艺  节目，一不小心    就   会  笑喷。
When eating its best not to watch variety shows, as soon as you are not careful you will laugh until you spit out food.

This word can also become an adjective to describe something that is hilarious. It uses the form “笑喷 (xiàopēn) + 的 (de) + [object].”

Examples:

Ràng rén xiàopēn de xiàohuà.
让      人   笑喷     的   笑话。
A joke that makes people laugh until they spit.

Shí bù ràng nǐ xiàopēn de diànyǐng.
10  部   让  你  笑喷    的   电影。
10 movies that make you laugh until you spit.

1. Which answer below is a scene that can be best described with the word “笑喷?”
A. You failed the final examination
B. You watched a funny movie with your friends
C. You saw a homeless cat in the street
D. You were given a gift that you love