1.
manzai duo; comedy duo (performing manzai stand-up)
A pair of comedians who perform 漫才, the classic Japanese stand-up style consisting of fast-paced comic dialogue between two performers — typically a {ボケ} ('the funny one; one who says silly things') and a {ツッコミ} ('the straight man who corrects them'). Common in entertainment news, audition contests like M-1 Grand Prix, and discussions of Japanese popular culture.
有名な漫才コンビ。
A famous manzai duo.
あの漫才コンビは結成十年になる。
That manzai duo has been together for ten years.
若手の漫才コンビが大会で優勝し、一気に有名になった。
A young manzai duo won the contest and became famous overnight.
Compound of 漫才 (a traditional two-person comic routine of fast-paced spoken exchange) and the loanword コンビ ('combo; duo', from English 'combination'). Refers to a comedy pair who perform manzai together, usually with one playing the silly role ({ボケ}) and the other the straight man ({ツッコミ}).
USAGE:
- Standard term in entertainment news, talent agency listings, and TV programmes.
- Manzai duos are typically known by a combined stage name (e.g., {ダウンタウン}, {サンドウィッチマン}, {ナイツ}).
- Major contests include M-1 Grand Prix (M-1グランプリ), where 漫才コンビ compete annually.
- The word コンビ alone is often enough in context, since the manzai meaning is implied (e.g., 「解散したコンビ」 'the duo that broke up').
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 漫才コンビを結成する: to form a manzai duo
- 漫才コンビが解散する: a manzai duo breaks up
- 人気漫才コンビ: a popular manzai duo
- 若手の漫才コンビ: a young manzai duo
- 夫婦漫才コンビ: husband-and-wife manzai duo
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 漫才師: manzai performer — an individual performer (not the pair).
- お{笑いコンビ}: comedy duo — broader term for any comedy pair, not necessarily performing manzai.
- {コント}コンビ: skit comedy duo — pair specializing in scripted comedy sketches rather than the dialogue-based manzai.
- {ボケ}: the funny one in a manzai duo.
- {ツッコミ}: the straight man who corrects the {ボケ} in a manzai duo.
- トリオ: trio — a group of three (e.g., comedy trio).