Xiehouyu is a kind of Chinese proverb consisting of two elements: the former segment presents a novel scenario while the latter provides the rationale thereof. One would often only state the first part, expecting the listener to know the second. Compare English "a stitch in time (saves nine)" or "a bird in the hand (is worth two in the bush)".

Pun

Pun

The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...

 is sometimes invoked in a xiehouyu, thus a xiehouyu in one dialect can be unintelligible to a listener speaking another. Valuable linguistic data can sometimes be gleaned from ancient xiehouyu.

Examples

• 外甥打燈籠——照舅 (舊) / 外甥打灯笼——照舅 (旧)
  • pinyin
    Pinyin
    Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
    
    : wàishēng dǎ dēnglong -- zhào jiù (jiù)
  • translation: nephew handling [a] lantern - illuminating/according to [his] uncle ([the] old [way])
  • gloss
    Gloss
    A gloss is a brief notation of the meaning of a word or wording in a text. It may be in the language of the text, or in the reader's language if that is different....
    
    : as usual, as before
  • Note: 舅 and 舊/旧 are a pair of homophones, and 照 means "according to" as well as "to illuminate"

• 皇帝的女儿——不愁嫁
  • pinyin
    Pinyin
    Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
    
    : huángdì de nǚér -- bù chóu jià
  • translation: the daughter of the emperor -- need not worry that she cannot soon be wed
  • gloss
    Gloss
    A gloss is a brief notation of the meaning of a word or wording in a text. It may be in the language of the text, or in the reader's language if that is different....
    
    : someone or something that is always wanted

External links

• A collection of xiehouyu (archived page)