<p>蝙蝠寓福 / 以蝠寓福</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>“福”为诸事皆吉之总称，以蝠寓福。每逢新年或吉日，人们贴“福”字以吉祥。双为吉数，一为单，二为全。中国自古有求全的民风，画面上以双数蝙蝠（或孩童）来表示求全，求吉祥，追求美好幸福的心理。</p>
</blockquote>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/kPiKB.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/kPiKB.jpg" alt=""></a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>蝙蝠寓福；佛手结，形如人手，也谓佛之手。因“佛”与“福”音似，佛手结在图案中作多福的象征。桃寓长寿，石榴寓多子，这三者结合在一起表示多福‘多寿、多子孙，表现人们祈求家族繁荣昌盛的愿望。九个如意寓意“九如”。九如出自《诗经·小雅·天保》：“天保定尔，以莫不兴，如山如阜，如岗如陵，如川之方至，以莫不增.....如月之恒，如归之升，如南山之寿，不骞不崩，如松柏之茂，无不尔或承。”意思是上天保佑你，让你没有不兴盛的，如山、阜（土山）、岗、陵和大川，象月之持久，太阳初升好比南山之长寿，松柏之常青，没有人不拥护你。此为九如，另外如意形如灵芝，灵芝又为吉祥瑞草，二者可互相混用。</p>
</blockquote>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/mhPfD.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/mhPfD.jpg" alt=""></a></p>

<p>if you are just looking for a pun for "蝙蝠" it has to be "遍福", 寓意福到</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-12T08:15:10.360Z
So your last line is the actual answer?  (I assumed yes and accepted.)
伟思礼
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-12T08:55:14.883Z
yes 遍福 would be it
Zukaberg
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-03T14:05:48.847Z
2016-11-03T14:05:48.847Z
Zukaberg
<p>The punch is 五<strong>蝠</strong> →五<strong>福</strong></p>

<p>A graphic of "five bats" (五<strong>蝠</strong>) symbolizes 五<strong>福</strong>臨門 (Five good fortunes come to the household)</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/vqK8p.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/vqK8p.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/vXFyq.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/vXFyq.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>Five good fortunes:
「壽(long life)、富(wealth)、貴(status)、安樂(peace)、子孫眾多(many children)。」</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-03T04:22:39.647Z
Not that one either.  五 does not sound like 蝙
伟思礼
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-03T04:40:53.473Z
there is no phrase sounded like 蝙蝠 for blessing in Chinese. Only 蝠 for 福
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-03T16:35:01.613Z
Well, maybe my informant is mistaken.
伟思礼
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-02T23:40:33.530Z
2016-11-02T23:57:40.623Z
2016-11-02T23:57:40.623Z
Tang Ho
<p>Merriam Webster:
pun: a humorous way of using a word or phrase so that more than one meaning is suggested. 
Example:</p>

<p>I'm reading a book on anti-gravity. I just can't put it down.</p>

<p>Is this definition going to work in Chinese? Given 4 tones, you really need a 1st tone word for 蝙蝠X福 to even remotely be a pun.</p>

<p>蝙蝠发福？ 发 is not the same sound as 蝙 thus not a good candidate.</p>

<p>bless might be 赐福， but as 赐 is not the same sound as 蝙， it is clearly punless.</p>

<p>I can't see anything funny in 五蝠五福， but I am not Chinese. Maybe it is funny. You said pun, right?</p>

<p>蝙蝠边福？ Just thinking aloud!
蝙蝠，变福? 变 is 4th tone, so I don't think so.</p>

<p>Let me know if you find it!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-03T16:37:38.360Z
Puns in Chinese are not humor.  You have to be cautious in gift giving, lest the name of the gift sounds like something negative.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophonic_puns_in_Mandarin_Chinese
伟思礼
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-03T16:45:55.867Z
Also, please consider the meanings of "comment," "answer," and (new) "question."
伟思礼
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-03T22:51:53.577Z
Wouldn't an unfunny pun be a saying? I looked up some Chinese 双关语的例子 in baidu. You are right, they do not make me laugh. They are not puns, they are manifestations of inscrutableness. Say one thing, mean another. 其实你人很好 ＞＞我不想跟你在一起. Since you arbitrarily define pun, I wonder how you define "comment," "answer," and (new) "question."?
Gangosa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-04T00:55:42.800Z
The question seems to be looking for homonym of 蝙蝠 that means " bless for good luck" which doesn't exist. only 蝠 (bat) is homonym of 福 (luck)
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-04T04:25:06.920Z
I define ‘pun’ the way other students of Chinese culture do.  Not to mention many English speakers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pun#Literature https://www.wordnik.com/words/pun  And when I am on stack exchange, I define "comment," "answer," and "question." the way SE defines them.
伟思礼
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-04T06:17:19.747Z
From your link: n. pun A play on words which have the same sound but different meanings; an expression in which two different applications of a word present an odd or ludicrous idea; a kind of quibble or equivocation. Kind of sounds like a pun should be funny, wouldn't you agree? pun is an English word as far as I know, not Chinese.
Gangosa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-07T05:30:41.207Z
No, I don't.  Funny is a subset of puns even in English.  While one could argue that equating a bat with a blessing is ludicrous, the Chinese do not agree.
伟思礼
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-08T00:57:15.940Z
Well, I am always willing to learn. You may be right.  Perhaps you can provide an example of an unfunny pun in English, bearing in mind the condition " in which two different applications of a word present an odd or ludicrous idea"
Gangosa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-31T16:43:15.107Z
I still remember a crossword puzzle clue "Former savior explains" which led to entering the letters "exegesis."  Hebrew also had "unfunny" puns.  page through a bible and you'll find lots of footnotes like "the Hebrew word for X sounds like the Hebrew word for Y"
伟思礼
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-03T09:43:01.607Z
2016-11-03T09:43:01.607Z
Gangosa
<p>I heard about this pun, but I don't know how to identify the one character.</p>

<p>I've tried a few tricks to search CEDICT but either it doesn't show up or there are too many hits to wade through.</p>

<characters>
Blessed bat pun: 蝙蝠→__福
# Blessed bat pun: 蝙蝠→__福

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-11-02)

I heard about this pun, but I don't know how to identify the one character.

I've tried a few tricks to search CEDICT but either it doesn't show up or there are too many hits to wade through.

**Tags:** characters


---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-11-03. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

蝙蝠寓福 / 以蝠寓福

> “福”为诸事皆吉之总称，以蝠寓福。每逢新年或吉日，人们贴“福”字以吉祥。双为吉数，一为单，二为全。中国自古有求全的民风，画面上以双数蝙蝠（或孩童）来表示求全，求吉祥，追求美好幸福的心理。

[![](https://i.sstatic.net/kPiKB.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/kPiKB.jpg)

> 蝙蝠寓福；佛手结，形如人手，也谓佛之手。因“佛”与“福”音似，佛手结在图案中作多福的象征。桃寓长寿，石榴寓多子，这三者结合在一起表示多福‘多寿、多子孙，表现人们祈求家族繁荣昌盛的愿望。九个如意寓意“九如”。九如出自《诗经·小雅·天保》：“天保定尔，以莫不兴，如山如阜，如岗如陵，如川之方至，以莫不增.....如月之恒，如归之升，如南山之寿，不骞不崩，如松柏之茂，无不尔或承。”意思是上天保佑你，让你没有不兴盛的，如山、阜（土山）、岗、陵和大川，象月之持久，太阳初升好比南山之长寿，松柏之常青，没有人不拥护你。此为九如，另外如意形如灵芝，灵芝又为吉祥瑞草，二者可互相混用。

[![](https://i.sstatic.net/mhPfD.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/mhPfD.jpg)

if you are just looking for a pun for "蝙蝠" it has to be "遍福", 寓意福到

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: So your last line is the actual answer?  (I assumed yes and accepted.)  
> **username_1**: yes 遍福 would be it  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-11-02. Score: 1

The punch is 五**蝠** →五**福**

A graphic of "five bats" (五**蝠**) symbolizes 五**福**臨門 (Five good fortunes come to the household)

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/vqK8p.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/vqK8p.jpg)
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/vXFyq.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/vXFyq.jpg)

Five good fortunes:
「壽(long life)、富(wealth)、貴(status)、安樂(peace)、子孫眾多(many children)。」

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Not that one either.  五 does not sound like 蝙  
> **username_2**: there is no phrase sounded like 蝙蝠 for blessing in Chinese. Only 蝠 for 福  
> **username_0**: Well, maybe my informant is mistaken.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-11-03. Score: 0

Merriam Webster:
pun: a humorous way of using a word or phrase so that more than one meaning is suggested.
Example:

I'm reading a book on anti-gravity. I just can't put it down.

Is this definition going to work in Chinese? Given 4 tones, you really need a 1st tone word for 蝙蝠X福 to even remotely be a pun.

蝙蝠发福？ 发 is not the same sound as 蝙 thus not a good candidate.

bless might be 赐福， but as 赐 is not the same sound as 蝙， it is clearly punless.

I can't see anything funny in 五蝠五福， but I am not Chinese. Maybe it is funny. You said pun, right?

蝙蝠边福？ Just thinking aloud!
蝙蝠，变福? 变 is 4th tone, so I don't think so.

Let me know if you find it!

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Puns in Chinese are not humor.  You have to be cautious in gift giving, lest the name of the gift sounds like something negative.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophonic_puns_in_Mandarin_Chinese  
> **username_0**: Also, please consider the meanings of "comment," "answer," and (new) "question."  
> **username_3**: Wouldn't an unfunny pun be a saying? I looked up some Chinese 双关语的例子 in baidu. You are right, they do not make me laugh. They are not puns, they are manifestations of inscrutableness. Say one thing, mean another. 其实你人很好 ＞＞我不想跟你在一起. Since you arbitrarily define pun, I wonder how you define "comment," "answer," and (new) "question."?  
> **username_2**: The question seems to be looking for homonym of 蝙蝠 that means " bless for good luck" which doesn't exist. only 蝠 (bat) is homonym of 福 (luck)  
> **username_0**: I define ‘pun’ the way other students of Chinese culture do.  Not to mention many English speakers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pun#Literature https://www.wordnik.com/words/pun  And when I am on stack exchange, I define "comment," "answer," and "question." the way SE defines them.  
> **username_3**: From your link: n. pun A play on words which have the same sound but different meanings; an expression in which two different applications of a word present an odd or ludicrous idea; a kind of quibble or equivocation. Kind of sounds like a pun should be funny, wouldn't you agree? pun is an English word as far as I know, not Chinese.  
> **username_0**: No, I don't.  Funny is a subset of puns even in English.  While one could argue that equating a bat with a blessing is ludicrous, the Chinese do not agree.  
> **username_3**: Well, I am always willing to learn. You may be right.  Perhaps you can provide an example of an unfunny pun in English, bearing in mind the condition " in which two different applications of a word present an odd or ludicrous idea"  
> **username_0**: I still remember a crossword puzzle clue "Former savior explains" which led to entering the letters "exegesis."  Hebrew also had "unfunny" puns.  page through a bible and you'll find lots of footnotes like "the Hebrew word for X sounds like the Hebrew word for Y"  

---

