ƒԺ‚ʂ؂
Xiao3 pin3: Xue2 xi2 Xie1 hou4 yu3
Sketch: Learn Xiehouyu

Ժ§ (David Faden), ʇ£
Zuo4 zhe3: Fan4 Da4 wei4 (David Faden), Pan Sheng1 wang4
Authors: Fan Dawei (David Faden), Pan Shengwang

§Ժݔ€§紓
DF: Ni3 men hao3. Wo3 jiao4 Fan4 Da4 wei4.
DF: Hello. I'm Fan Dawei.

ʇ£Ժʇ£
SP: Wo3 jiao4 Pan Sheng1 wang4.
SP: I'm Pan Shengwang.

§Ժ§딪§Ə˰ʺ§‚ԺĔʂ؂딺裓£إԺ唪
DF: Jin1 tian1 wo3 men liang3 lai2 gei3 da4 jia1 biao3 yan3 xie3 da4 zi4, xie3 yi2 ge4 xie1 hou4 yu3. Wo3 hui4 yong4 wo3 de kou3. Sheng1 wang4 hui4 yong4 ta1 de shou3. Wo3 shuo1, ta1 xie3.
Today we've come to give you all a performance of writing big characters, a xiehouyu. I will use my mouth. Shengwang will use his hands. I speak, he writes.

ʇ£Ժ
SP: Xian4 zai4 wo3 qu4 xie3.
SP: Now I'll go write.

§Ժ딪½딪˰ʺܔ锇ݔ甇ʂ؂ؔĔԺ唽씽Ĕ€Ժ唽§ȴʂ؂؅Ʃ딪±Ĕ€ɮܓԺ±§‚Ժѱˣ‚±Ժ
DF: Wo3 men xi1 wang4 wo3 men biao3 yan3 le yi3 hou4 ni3 men bu2 dan4 zhi1 dao4 xie1 hou4 yu3 shi4 shen2 me, er2 qie3 ye3 zhi1 dao4 yi2 ge4 hao3 wanr2, bu2 tai4 gao1 ya3 de xie1 hou4 yu3. qing3 rang4 wo3 men xian1 zhan3 shi4 yi2 xia4 xie3 hao3 de bu2 fen. (Zhan3 shi4 da4 zi4: tuo1 ku4 zi fang4 pi4.
DF: We hope that after our performance you will not only know what a xiehouyu is but also know a fun, none too elegant xiehouyu. Please allow us to first show you part of the xiehouyu which is already completed. (Show the big characters: To take off pants to fart.)

ؔĔʂ؂єԺѱˣ‚±œǒʂ؂Ժ┽ɮܓĔɮԺ唽ɮܔ耓ǔ˱Ĕ˃؂Ժ唽˱Ĕ˃†ǔĔꨔܔ耔锽ƒɇɄᆔԺʂ؂
Zhe4 shi4 yi2 ge4 xie1 hou4 yu3 de shang4 ban4 ju4. "Tuo1 ku4 zi fang4 pi4." Xie1 hou4 yu3 shi4 bi3 yu4, you3 liang3 ge4 bu4 fen. Di4 yi2 ge3 bu4 fen jiao4 zuo4 shang4 ban4 ju4, di4 er4 ge4 bu4 fen yi2 ding4 jiao4 zuo4 xia4 ban4 ju4. Shang4 ban4 ju4 xiang4 yi2 ge4 mi2 yu3. Xia4 ban4 ju4 xiang4 yi2 ge4 mi2 di3. Yi2 ge4 ren2 zhi3 ting1 le shang4 ban4 ju4 yi3 hou4 yi4 ban1 jiu4 neng2 cai1 xiang3 chu1 xia4 ban4 ju4, xie1 hou4 yu3 de ben3 yi4.
This is a xiehouyu's shangbanju [top half]. "To take off pants to fart." Xiehouyu are metaphors. They have two parts. The first part is known as the shangbanju. The second part is of course known as the xiabanju [bottom half]. The shangbanju is like a riddle. The xiabanju is like the answer. After hearing only the shangbanju, a person can usually guess the xiabanju, the xiehouyu's meaning.

ʂؔؓǔĔإܔĔʂ؂є耔ԺƒɇʂʂԺ唺ؔĔԺ唇ܔ†؀ԺƩєɄɄؔĔԺĔʂ؂ʂ؂
"Xie1" de yi4 si1 shi4 xiu1 xi. Yi2 ge4 ren2 shuo1 le yi2 ge4 xie1 hou4 yu3 de shang4 ban4 ju4 yi3 hou4, jiu4 neng2 xie1 xie1 jiao3, xiu1 xi yi2 xiar4. Dan4 bu4 ying1 gai1 shui4 jiao4, rang4 ting1 de ren2 xiang3 yi xiang3 shi4 shen2 me yi4 si1, suo3 yi3 xie1 hou4 yu3 jiao4 zuo4 xie1 hou4 yu3.
Xie's meaning is "to rest." After you've said a xiehouyu's shangbanju, you can stop for a bit, rest a little, but you shouldn't go to sleep, to allow the listener to think a while on what the meaning is. So, a xiehouyu is known as a "xieyouhu."

˃ɇѱˣ‚±ŒєԺ
Shei2 neng2 gao4 su4 wo3 "tuo1 ku4 zi fang4 pi4" de xia4 ban4 ju4?
Who can tell me "To take pants off to fart"'s xiabanju?

Ժ˶ؔĔؼԺƒإ "ؼ˵Ժ§ŔԺꨔœ"Ժ
(Yao4 shi yi2 ge4 ren2 cai1 dui4 le, jiu4 shuo1 "Dui4 bu qi3, wo3 tai4 lao3 le, wo3 ting1 bu jian4.)
(If someone answers correctly, then say "Sorry. I'm too old. I can't hear.)

耓딪┪唪Ժ؅§ƏɄ˱딪ɇȣǔĔ趔Ĕ漓Ĕؼ趔ĔإԺ
Ta1 zai4 xie3 xia4 ban4 ju4. Zai4 wo3 men deng3 ta1 xie3 wan2 yi3 qian2, qing3 da4 jia1 xiang4 wo3 men xian4 zai4 dou1 zai4 fei1 ji1 shang4. Yi2 ge4 ren2 zuo4 zai4 bie2 yi2 ge4 ren2 pang2 bian1. Di4 yi2 ge4 ren2 dui4 bie2 yi2 ge4 ren2 shuo1,
He's writing the xiabanju. While we wait for him to finish, everyone please imagine that we are now on an airplane. One person sits next to another. The first person says to the second,

€Ժ唇Ժ
"Ni3 hao3. Ni3 qu4 nar3?"
"Hi. Where are you going?"

ȣ䔽ؔ˰Ʉȣǒ
"Wo3 zai4 fei1 ji1 shang4 bu2 shi4 wei4 le qu lv3 xing1. Wo3 zhi3 xiang3 chi1 fei1 ji1 shang4 de hua1 sheng1."
"I'm not on the airplane to travel. I just want to eat the airline peanuts."

ԺԺ
"Shi4 ma? Shi4 ma?"
"Really? Really?"

ȣ½€ɓǒ
"Shi4 a. Fei1 ji1 shang4 de hua1 sheng1 fei1 chang2 hao3 chi1."
"Yep. Airline peanuts are extremely delicious."

ԺŔȣؔԺѱˣ‚±ԺŒ
"A! Ni3 zuo4 fei1 ji1 zhi3 shi4 wei4 le chi4 zher4 de hua1 sheng1? Zhen1 shi4 tuo1 le ku4 zi fang4 pi4!"
"Ah! You took a plane just for the peanuts? That's really taking your pants off to fart!"

§ư󾔆ԺŔԺݔĔȣԺ
"Bie2 duo1 guan3 xian2 shi4! Ni3 ne? Ni3 wei4 shen2 me zai4 fei1 ji1 shang4?"
"Don't stick your nose in other people's business! And you? Why are you on the plane?"

Ժ˶ȣԺʨȣēǒ
"O4. Wo3 yao4 yong4 fei1 ji1 shang4 de ce4 suo3, wo3 zhi3 xi3 huan fei1 ji1 shang4 de ce4 suo3."
"Oh. I want to use the airplane's bathroom. I only like airplane bathrooms."

ԺݔĔ˶Ժѱˣ‚±ԺŒ
"Shi4 ma? Ni3 wei4 shen2 me yao4 pi1 ping2 wo? Ni3 zhe4 ye3 shi4 tuo1 le ku4 zi fang4 pi4!"
"Really? Why do you criticize me? You're also taking your pants off to fart!"

Ժ唽ؓ§§ߓ˶ŔȣԺ攽ȩʰǒ
"Bu2 shi4, bu2 shi4. Bie2 de di4 fang de ce4 suo3 tai4 da4. Wo3 yao3 bu2 shi4 zai4 fei1 ji1 shang4, wo3 dan1 xin1 wo3 zhao3 bu dao4 ma3 tong3."
"No, no. Other place's bathrooms are too big. If I'm not on an airplane, I worry about not finding the toilet."

¶ȣ€Ȁܓ˶ŔȣԺƒȀʂܓǒ
"Bie2 de di4 fang de hua1 sheng1 bu4 ru2 fei1 ji1 shang4 de hao3. Wo3 e4 le. Wo3 yao4 bu2 shi4 zai4 fei1 ji1 shang4, wo3 dan1 xin1 wo3 jiu4 e4 si3 le."
"Other place's peanuts aren't as good as airplane peanuts. If I'm not on an airplane, I worry I'll starve to death."

ǔѱˣ‚±œǒ
"Ha. Ni3 zhen1 shi4 tuo1 le ku4 zi fang4 pi4."
"Ha. You really are taking your pants off to fart."

ǔƽإؼ딪ɇѱˣ‚±œǒ
"Ha. Ye3 xu3 ni3 shuo1 de dui4. Wo3 men dou1 shi4 tuo1 le ku4 zi fang4 pi4."
"Ha. Maybe you're right. We're both taking our pants off to fart."

ؼԺؼԺؼԺؼԺؼǒ
"A. Dui4, dui4, dui4, dui4, dui4."
"A. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah."

ʰݔ􇔆Ժ
Da2 an4 xian4 zai4 ni3 men ming bai le ma?
Is the answer clear to you now?

ѱˣ‚±Œєؒ§ʂĔԺ£±€ɮԺ§ʂĔԺؔĔ? §ʂĔƒ˱॔½‚݅ԺܔĔ§єǔĔ±ŔԺ唼ƽ†؀إؼ˵Ժʃ䮒Ժ唼ƽ†؀˵§±Ժݼ˶ѱˣ‚
"Tuo1 ku4 zi fang4 pi4" de xia4 ban4 ju4 shi4 "duo1 ci3 yi1 ju3" (Sheng1 wang4 zhan3 shi4 xie3 hao3 le de di4 er4 bu4 fen: Duo1 ci3 yi1 ju3). Zhe4 shi4 shen2 me yi4 si1? "Duo1 ci3 yi1 ju3" jiu4 xiang4 Dai4 shang4 mao4 zi da3 pen1 ti4" yi2 yang4, zuo4 le yi2 jian4 duo1 yu2 de shi4. Yi2 ge4 ren2 fang4 pi4 yi3 qian2, ye3 xu3 ying1 gai1 shuo1 "Dui4 bu qi3, Wo3 de qi4 xian4 zai4 zai4 yun4 dong4", ye3 xu3 ying1 gai1 zou3 dao4 wai4 bian qu4 fang4 pi4, ke3 shi4 gen1 ben3 bu4 xu1 yao4 tuo1 ku4 zi.
"To take off pants to fart"'s xiabanju is "duociyiju" (Shengwang shows the completed second part: "Duociyiju"). What does this mean? "Duociyiju" is just like "putting a hat on to sneeze", to do something extraneous. Before you fart, maybe you should say, "Sorry. My qi is active now," maybe you should go outside to fart, but you really don't need to take off your pants.

Ժя§Ժ딽…إ§§ܓ딽Ʉѱˣ‚±ԺĔƒ§Ə딪˰ʺ唆ܓ
A. Sui1 ran2 ta1 xie3 de bu4 duo1, wo3 yi2 ding4 yi3 jing1 shuo1 le tai4 duo1 le. Wo3 bu4 xiang3 tuo1 ku4 zi fang4 pi4, suo3 yi3 wo3 jiu4 gao4 su4 da4 jia1 wo3 men de jie2 mu4 biao3 yan3 wan2 le.
Ah. Although he hasn't written enough, I've certainly already said too much. I don't want to take my pants off to fart so I'll tell everyone that our performance is done.

˃˃Ժ˃˃
Xie4 xie, xie4 xie.
Thanks, thanks.