<p>隔离 means quarantine but also means <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrier_cream" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Barrier cream</a></p>
<p>So it is humorous about mixing up Covid and Cosmetic concepts</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-21T14:13:54.230Z
2022-07-21T14:23:36.377Z
2022-07-21T14:23:36.377Z
Archeosudoerus
<p>The original meaning of the questioner is &quot;do you need isolation when you come back?（你回来需要隔离吗？）&quot; Here &quot;用&quot; is understood as &quot;需要&quot;(need).</p>
<p>But the respondent understood it as &quot;will you use cream when you come back?（你回来会使用隔离霜吗？）&quot; Here, &quot;用&quot;  is understood as &quot;使用&quot;(use), and &quot;隔离&quot; refers to &quot;隔离霜&quot;, a kind of cosmetics. The word &quot;隔离&quot; here is actually colloquial, omitting the word &quot;霜&quot;. But &quot;隔离&quot; itself has other meanings (isolation).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-22T02:50:07.927Z
"隔离霜" refers to skin care products that isolate ultraviolet rays and sunscreen.
Zhong Qing
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-22T02:02:26.380Z
2022-07-22T02:02:26.380Z
Zhong Qing
<p>“回来用隔离不” 这句话有两种意思：</p>
<p>第一种意思：回家了之后是否需要隔离以便符合政府疫情政策要求。</p>
<p>第二种意思：回家了之后是否要用 隔离霜。</p>
<p>当大家都以为是 第一问是 第一种意思的时候，对话中用了第二种意思去回复。所以这个对话有趣。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-22T11:46:01.400Z
2022-07-22T11:46:01.400Z
bronze man
<p>My teacher sent me this screenshot from WeChat</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/II1nA.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/II1nAm.png" alt="WeChat screenshot" /></a></p>
<p>A: 我8号生日你几号回来啊<br />
B: 6号下午吧<br />
A: 大概几点？<br />
A: 回来用隔离不<br />
B: 我等下看下票<br />
B: 不用<br />
B: 我直接用粉底液</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I'm told it's funny because of some words have the same pronunciation.  It appears like the woman interprets the question 回来用隔离不 = &quot;when you return, do you need to isolate?&quot; as if she's being asked about using some kind of cosmetic product, so she replies, 不用，我直接用粉底液 = &quot;no, I directly use liquid foundation&quot;.  So maybe there's a cosmetics brand pronounced &quot;隔离&quot; in China.</p>
<p><strong>Question</strong>: Why is this funny?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-21T12:56:16.753Z
It looks like a woman thing. You can search on Baidu with the key word 隔离 化妆品. You would get answers.
dan
<meaning-in-context><humor>
A: 回来用隔离不 ("when you return, do you need to isolate?") B: 不用，我直接用粉底液 ("no, I directly use liquid foundation"). Why is this funny?
# A: 回来用隔离不 ("when you return, do you need to isolate?") B: 不用，我直接用粉底液 ("no, I directly use liquid foundation"). Why is this funny?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-07-21)

My teacher sent me this screenshot from WeChat

> [![WeChat screenshot](https://i.sstatic.net/II1nAm.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/II1nA.png)
>
> A: 我8号生日你几号回来啊  
> B: 6号下午吧  
> A: 大概几点？  
> A: 回来用隔离不  
> B: 我等下看下票  
> B: 不用  
> B: 我直接用粉底液

I'm told it's funny because of some words have the same pronunciation. It appears like the woman interprets the question 回来用隔离不 = "when you return, do you need to isolate?" as if she's being asked about using some kind of cosmetic product, so she replies, 不用，我直接用粉底液 = "no, I directly use liquid foundation". So maybe there's a cosmetics brand pronounced "隔离" in China.

**Question**: Why is this funny?

**Tags:** meaning-in-context, humor

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It looks like a woman thing. You can search on Baidu with the key word 隔离 化妆品. You would get answers.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2022-07-22. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

“回来用隔离不” 这句话有两种意思：

第一种意思：回家了之后是否需要隔离以便符合政府疫情政策要求。

第二种意思：回家了之后是否要用 隔离霜。

当大家都以为是 第一问是 第一种意思的时候，对话中用了第二种意思去回复。所以这个对话有趣。


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### Answer by username_2 on 2022-07-21. Score: 2

隔离 means quarantine but also means [Barrier cream](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrier_cream)

So it is humorous about mixing up Covid and Cosmetic concepts


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### Answer by username_3 on 2022-07-22. Score: 2

The original meaning of the questioner is "do you need isolation when you come back?（你回来需要隔离吗？）" Here "用" is understood as "需要"(need).

But the respondent understood it as "will you use cream when you come back?（你回来会使用隔离霜吗？）" Here, "用" is understood as "使用"(use), and "隔离" refers to "隔离霜", a kind of cosmetics. The word "隔离" here is actually colloquial, omitting the word "霜". But "隔离" itself has other meanings (isolation).

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: "隔离霜" refers to skin care products that isolate ultraviolet rays and sunscreen.  

---

