忍俊不禁
忍俊不禁 (rěn jùn bù jīn) literally means “cannot suppress a smile” and expresses “unable to hide amusement”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: ren jun bu jin, ren jun bu jin,忍俊不禁 meaning, 忍俊不禁 in english
Unable to hide amusement
Pronunciation: rěn jùn bù jīn Literal meaning: Cannot suppress a smile
Origin & Usage
忍俊 is holding back a smile — 俊 here has the sense of amusement rising in the face rather than its usual meaning of handsome — and 不禁 is being unable to. So the phrase names a specific moment: the composure was attempted and it failed. That is why it is not simply a word for laughing. The setting has to have called for a straight face, which is most of what makes it funny, and it turns up in narrative rather than in speech.
Examples
English: "Even the stern professor couldn't help smiling at the clever comment"
Chinese: 即使是严厉的教授也忍不住对这个机智的评论微笑
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
插翅难飞
chā chì nán fēi
Utterly impossible to escape
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不胫而走
bù jìng ér zǒu
Spread widely and rapidly on its own
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忍无可忍
rěn wú kě rěn
Beyond endurance; can't take it anymore
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众口铄金
zhòng kǒu shuò jīn
Repeated by enough people, a falsehood passes for truth
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忍辱负重
rěn rǔ fù zhòng
Bear disgrace to discharge a duty
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披荆斩棘
pī jīng zhǎn jí
Overcome all obstacles
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半途而废
bàn tú ér fèi
Quitting before completion
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虚张声势
xū zhāng shēng shì
Bluffing with fake display
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 忍俊不禁 mean in English?
忍俊不禁 (rěn jùn bù jīn) literally translates to “Cannot suppress a smile” and is used to express “Unable to hide amusement”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 忍俊不禁 used?
Situation: Even the stern professor couldn't help smiling at the clever comment
What is the pinyin for 忍俊不禁?
The pinyin pronunciation for 忍俊不禁 is “rěn jùn bù jīn”.
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