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.
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).