Pun in the Chinese advertisement texts

Abstract

<jats:p> This article reviews and analyzes pun in the Chinese advertisement texts. Pun is a literary technique that in the same contexts uses different meanings of similarly sounding single word, different words or phrases. In the Chinese advertisements pun is used as an instrument of linguistic manipulation for imparting a humorous effect or instigating targeted audience to utilize their imagination for decoding a message. Usage of pun in advertising attaches a meaning to an expression, which seems hard to understand, but in reality, it simply attracts consumer&amp;rsquo;s attention and incites them to buy advertised goods based on the background knowledge. In accordance with the selectmen material, communicative-pragmatic method is recognized as most relevant allowing to consider linguistic peculiarities of the text, as well as extralinguistic circumstances and factors. Pun plays an important role in creating advertisement texts. Bright and positive texts that contain pun are capable of expressing a deeper meaning and convey larger volume of information in comparison with the traditional advertising. Such advertising helps to represent a company and characteristics of a product in a simple and understandable format and ensure product marketing. </jats:p>