C-drama tropes in Chinese 国产剧套路
guóchǎn jù tàolù
Trope in Chinese is 套路 (tào lù).
Also searched for as: Chinese drama tropes, C-drama clichés, Chinese TV drama tropes, cdrama.
Bossy CEOs, time travel and scheming concubines. 15 essential c-drama tropes words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
C-drama fans quickly learn that many plots run on familiar 套路 (tào lù), "formulas". There's the 霸道总裁 (bà dào zǒng cái), the domineering CEO who falls for a humble 灰姑娘 (huī gū niang), heroines who 穿越 (chuān yuè), travelling back in time, and the scheming concubines of 宫斗 (gōng dòu) palace dramas. Knowing these terms helps you read reviews, join comment threads and describe what you're watching.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 套路 | tào lù | trope; formula; trick |
| 霸道总裁 | bà dào zǒng cái | domineering CEO (romantic hero) |
| 灰姑娘 | huī gū niang | Cinderella (poor, kind heroine) |
| 穿越 | chuān yuè | to time-travel; time travel |
| 宫斗 | gōng dòu | palace intrigue |
| 宅斗 | zhái dòu | household intrigue (in a grand family) |
| 玛丽苏 | mǎ lì sū | Mary Sue (impossibly perfect heroine) |
| 重生 | chóng shēng | to be reborn (and get a second chance) |
| 复仇 | fù chóu | revenge; to take revenge |
| 失忆 | shī yì | to lose one's memory; amnesia |
| 白月光 | bái yuè guāng | idealised first love one never forgets |
| 替身 | tì shēn | stand-in (for a lost love) |
| 大女主 | dà nǚ zhǔ | strong female lead (drama centred on her) |
| 爽剧 | shuǎng jù | feel-good drama where the hero wins big |
| 狗血 | gǒu xuè | melodramatic; over-the-top |
Usage tips
- 宫斗 (gōng dòu) is intrigue inside the imperial palace, while 宅斗 (zhái dòu) is the same kind of rivalry within a large household. The 斗 (dòu), "struggle", is the giveaway.
- 穿越 (chuān yuè) is a modern character waking up in another era, while 重生 (chóng shēng) is being reborn into an earlier stage of one's own life with memories intact, usually to set things right.
- 狗血 (gǒu xuè), literally "dog's blood", is how fans describe over-the-top plots full of amnesia, secret siblings and car accidents. It's often said with affection as much as criticism.
Common mistakes
- 套路 (tào lù) doesn't only mean "trope"; it can also mean a manipulative trick. 你在套路我 (nǐ zài tào lù wǒ) means "you're playing me", so watch the context.
- Learners read 重生 as zhòng shēng, since 重 is often zhòng, "heavy". Here it means "again", so it's chóng shēng.
Mini dialogue
- A你在看什么剧？Nǐ zài kàn shén me jù?What are you watching?
- B一部穿越剧。女主一觉醒来就到了古代。Yī bù chuān yuè jù. Nǚ zhǔ yī jiào xǐng lái jiù dào le gǔ dài.A time-travel drama. The heroine wakes up and she's in ancient times.
- A然后爱上了皇帝，还要宫斗？Rán hòu ài shàng le huáng dì, hái yào gōng dòu?And then she falls for the emperor and gets caught up in palace intrigue?
- B你怎么知道？Nǐ zěn me zhī dào?How did you know?
- A这种套路我看多了，太狗血了！Zhè zhǒng tào lù wǒ kàn duō le, tài gǒu xuè le!I've seen that formula loads of times, it's so melodramatic!
Example sentences
- 这部剧的套路太老了。This show's tropes are so tired.
- 又是霸道总裁爱上灰姑娘的故事。It's another story of a domineering CEO falling for a Cinderella.
- 女主是个典型的灰姑娘。The heroine is a typical Cinderella.
- 女主一觉醒来就穿越了。The heroine wakes up and has travelled back in time.
- 宫斗剧里的妃子个个都有心机。Every concubine in a palace drama is a schemer.
- 我觉得宅斗比宫斗更接地气。I find household-intrigue dramas more down-to-earth than palace ones.
- 这个女主也太玛丽苏了吧！This heroine is such a Mary Sue!
- 女主重生以后决定报仇。After being reborn, the heroine decides to take revenge.
- 复仇剧看得特别解气。Revenge dramas are really satisfying to watch.
- 男主出了车祸就失忆了。The male lead has a car accident and loses his memory.
- 他心里一直有个白月光。There's always been an unforgettable first love in his heart.
- 原来她只是个替身。So she was only ever a stand-in.
- 最近大女主剧特别火。Dramas with strong female leads are really popular lately.
- 这部爽剧看得我太过瘾了。This feel-good drama was so satisfying to watch.
- 这剧情也太狗血了吧！This plot is way too melodramatic!
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The C-drama tropes speaking island has 8 everyday questions about c-drama tropes to prepare your own answers to.