<p>'他的' in '开他的玩笑' is not the subject, it is an  'adjectival phrase' </p>

<p>开玩笑 = to joke </p>

<p>他的 = (对)他的 = toward/ about him</p>

<p>'对他的' (toward/ about him) is the adjectival phrase for '玩笑' (joke). It describes what kind of joke it is - 'a joke toward/ about him'</p>

<p>'开玩笑' (to joke) is a single verb treated as one word, but in this structure, 玩笑 (joke) is isolated out and treated like a noun, therefore (对)他的 could be applied to it. </p>

<p>Similarly:</p>

<p>回家 (go home) is a single verb</p>

<p>in '回[溫暖的]家' , '家' is isolated out as a noun and '溫暖的' (warm) is the adjective for '家'(home)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-02T09:08:36.433Z
So does this mean he makes fun of himself?
Blaszard
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-02T09:46:05.123Z
'开他的玩笑' means he was being made fun of-- The subject is omitted . It could be anyone: "如果(有人)开他的玩笑，他会脸红" = " if (someone) play joke on him, he would blush"
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-02T02:11:00.560Z
2018-04-02T02:19:21.287Z
2018-04-02T02:19:21.287Z
Tang Ho
<p>他开玩笑 he cracked/played a joke<br>
某人开他的玩笑 someone played a joke on him<br>
开我的玩笑 make fun of me</p>

<p>他都说好的好的;<br>
He was always saying ok ok,<br>
有时开他的玩笑，<br>
sometimes, when someone played a joke on him,<br>
他会脸红得不知所措，<br>
he would blush and not know what to do,<br>
只是憨憨地笑。<br>
except laugh a silly laugh.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-02T02:49:45.493Z
2018-04-02T02:49:45.493Z
Pedroski
<p>In the following sentence:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>艾文特别老实、害羞，提什么建议，他都说好的好的；有时<strong>开他的玩笑</strong>，他会脸红得不知所措，只是憨憨地笑。他喜欢骑自行车，我俩就骑着车在南京城里转，在我这个业余导游的指引下，早到哪儿，逛到哪儿。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Since it starts with 他 as a subject, I feel that it is "he" that makes fun of something, not that he is being. But since the latter sentence makes an impression that he feels embarrassed, so I also feel that he is actually joked at here.</p>

<p>How can I know which is correct? Usually, the sentence should be 他开玩笑 I think, but I wonder if it is actually "he" that is making fun of, why is it in such a form...</p>

<p>Or is 开X的玩笑 different word from X开玩笑? If it is the same and the subject is 他, why not simply say 他开玩笑, instead of 开他的玩笑?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-02T02:18:57.733Z
since no new person has been mentioned,他 refers to the same person throughout the text, in particular  to 他 in  开他的玩笑
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-02T05:10:05.343Z
It is 开他(的)玩笑 and not 他开玩笑，the latter may be "his making fun, joking", even though an object would usually be mentioned as in iciba: 你如果跟他开玩笑, 他会认为你在嘲笑他, but 开他(的)玩笑 has 他 as object.
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-02T09:12:10.973Z
@user6065 I added a little more context. 我 is an author of the article.
Blaszard
<grammar><word>
Does 开他的玩笑 mean "he" plays or is played?
# Does 开他的玩笑 mean "he" plays or is played?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-04-02)

In the following sentence:

> 艾文特别老实、害羞，提什么建议，他都说好的好的；有时**开他的玩笑**，他会脸红得不知所措，只是憨憨地笑。他喜欢骑自行车，我俩就骑着车在南京城里转，在我这个业余导游的指引下，早到哪儿，逛到哪儿。

Since it starts with 他 as a subject, I feel that it is "he" that makes fun of something, not that he is being. But since the latter sentence makes an impression that he feels embarrassed, so I also feel that he is actually joked at here.

How can I know which is correct? Usually, the sentence should be 他开玩笑 I think, but I wonder if it is actually "he" that is making fun of, why is it in such a form...

Or is 开X的玩笑 different word from X开玩笑? If it is the same and the subject is 他, why not simply say 他开玩笑, instead of 开他的玩笑?

**Tags:** grammar, word
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: since no new person has been mentioned,他 refers to the same person throughout the text, in particular  to 他 in  开他的玩笑  
> **username_1**: It is 开他(的)玩笑 and not 他开玩笑，the latter may be "his making fun, joking", even though an object would usually be mentioned as in iciba: 你如果跟他开玩笑, 他会认为你在嘲笑他, but 开他(的)玩笑 has 他 as object.  
> **username_0**: @user6065 I added a little more context. 我 is an author of the article.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-04-02. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

'他的' in '开他的玩笑' is not the subject, it is an 'adjectival phrase'

开玩笑 = to joke

他的 = (对)他的 = toward/ about him

'对他的' (toward/ about him) is the adjectival phrase for '玩笑' (joke). It describes what kind of joke it is - 'a joke toward/ about him'

'开玩笑' (to joke) is a single verb treated as one word, but in this structure, 玩笑 (joke) is isolated out and treated like a noun, therefore (对)他的 could be applied to it.

Similarly:

回家 (go home) is a single verb

in '回[溫暖的]家' , '家' is isolated out as a noun and '溫暖的' (warm) is the adjective for '家'(home)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: So does this mean he makes fun of himself?  
> **username_2**: '开他的玩笑' means he was being made fun of-- The subject is omitted . It could be anyone: "如果(有人)开他的玩笑，他会脸红" = " if (someone) play joke on him, he would blush"  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2018-04-02. Score: 3

他开玩笑 he cracked/played a joke  
某人开他的玩笑 someone played a joke on him  
开我的玩笑 make fun of me

他都说好的好的;  
He was always saying ok ok,  
有时开他的玩笑，  
sometimes, when someone played a joke on him,  
他会脸红得不知所措，  
he would blush and not know what to do,  
只是憨憨地笑。  
except laugh a silly laugh.


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