<p>Pause before delivering a keyword is more like a tease, and tease can be funny at times but not always. It gets funnier when the twist is more surprising and striking</p>
<p>the difference between &quot;他是我见过最好的人&quot; and &quot;他是我见过最好的人……之一&quot; is not striking at all because  'the best' and 'one of the best' are both common phrases</p>
<p>'他是我的男朋友'  and '他是我的男朋友……之一' is better but it only reveals the speaker has more than one boyfriend and it is not a big twist</p>
<p>I would consider the following funny:</p>
<p>'你是唯一人選……之一' -- &quot;You are the only candidate... one of the only candidates&quot; (it is funny because there cannot be more than one 'only'. It implies the speaker told the same lie to everyone)</p>
<p>'他樂於助人……才怪' -- &quot;He loves to help people... is not possible&quot;</p>
<p>&quot;你女朋友一定會回來……跟你算賬&quot; -- &quot;Your girlfriend will definitely come back... to settle old scores with you&quot;</p>
<p><em>It may be funnier:  &quot;你女朋友一定會回來跟你……算賬&quot; &quot;Your girlfriend will definitely come back with you... to settle old scores (with you)&quot;</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-15T08:40:19.960Z
2020-12-15T09:05:08.837Z
2020-12-15T09:05:08.837Z
Tang Ho
<blockquote>
<p>之一 (zhī​yī)<br />
<a href="https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E4%B9%8B%E4%B8%80" rel="nofollow noreferrer">CC-CEDICT</a>: one of (sth) / one out of a multitude / one (third, quarter, percent etc)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>之一 may be added at the end of a sentence, and can completely change its meaning (appending &quot;one of&quot;).  For example:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>他是我见过最好的人。  (He is the best person I've met.)<br />
他是我见过最好的人<strong>之一</strong>。 (He is <strong>one of</strong> the best people I've met.)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I feel like this could be easily utilized for humor.  Perhaps something along the lines of:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>他是我的男朋友…… (He is my boyfriend...)<br />
他是我的男朋友……之一。 (He is one of my boyfriends.)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We begin with an ordinary sentence, but when the 之一 is slyly added at the end, the sentiment completely changes: it's now something far more unexpected.</p>
<p><strong>Question</strong>: Are there typical jokes formed by adding 之一 at the end of an otherwise innocuous sentence?</p>
<p>I'm wondering if such jokes exist, and if so, I'd be interested in seeing some examples of them.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-15T07:41:58.340Z
In my opinion, "之一" have only means "one of", the sentence become a little humor is because the "boyfriend" is a sensitive word, but that sentence could be true... lol.
高鵬翔
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-15T09:27:29.233Z
It feels more of slyness than funny.  Some might feel it annoying sometimes.  So it depends on the circumstances where you put it.
dan
<humor>
Are there typical jokes formed by adding 之一 at the end of an otherwise innocuous sentence?
# Are there typical jokes formed by adding 之一 at the end of an otherwise innocuous sentence?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-12-15)

> 之一 (zhī​yī)  
> [CC-CEDICT](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E4%B9%8B%E4%B8%80): one of (sth) / one out of a multitude / one (third, quarter, percent etc)

之一 may be added at the end of a sentence, and can completely change its meaning (appending "one of"). For example:

> 他是我见过最好的人。 (He is the best person I've met.)  
> 他是我见过最好的人**之一**。 (He is **one of** the best people I've met.)

I feel like this could be easily utilized for humor. Perhaps something along the lines of:

> 他是我的男朋友…… (He is my boyfriend...)  
> 他是我的男朋友……之一。 (He is one of my boyfriends.)

We begin with an ordinary sentence, but when the 之一 is slyly added at the end, the sentiment completely changes: it's now something far more unexpected.

**Question**: Are there typical jokes formed by adding 之一 at the end of an otherwise innocuous sentence?

I'm wondering if such jokes exist, and if so, I'd be interested in seeing some examples of them.

**Tags:** humor

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: In my opinion, "之一" have only means "one of", the sentence become a little humor is because the "boyfriend" is a sensitive word, but that sentence could be true... lol.  
> **username_2**: It feels more of slyness than funny.  Some might feel it annoying sometimes.  So it depends on the circumstances where you put it.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-12-15. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

Pause before delivering a keyword is more like a tease, and tease can be funny at times but not always. It gets funnier when the twist is more surprising and striking

the difference between "他是我见过最好的人" and "他是我见过最好的人……之一" is not striking at all because 'the best' and 'one of the best' are both common phrases

'他是我的男朋友' and '他是我的男朋友……之一' is better but it only reveals the speaker has more than one boyfriend and it is not a big twist

I would consider the following funny:

'你是唯一人選……之一' -- "You are the only candidate... one of the only candidates" (it is funny because there cannot be more than one 'only'. It implies the speaker told the same lie to everyone)

'他樂於助人……才怪' -- "He loves to help people... is not possible"

"你女朋友一定會回來……跟你算賬" -- "Your girlfriend will definitely come back... to settle old scores with you"

*It may be funnier: "你女朋友一定會回來跟你……算賬" "Your girlfriend will definitely come back with you... to settle old scores (with you)"*


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