Question about different ways to say "fun"

[Pegasus]

Hello everyone,

I am learning Chinese and I have a question about the word "fun" in different contexts that I'm hoping you can help me with.

Take this sentence as an example: "This class is fun."

Do any of the following translations make sense? Is one better or worse then the others? What are the subtle or not so subtle differences in their meanings?

A.) 这门课很好玩.

B.) 这门课是乐子.

C.) 这门课是乐趣.

D.) 这门课很有趣的.

How would you translate the sentence, "This class is fun," into Chinese in your own words? (i.e., What's the best translation?)

Can you elaborate a little on the differences in usage or context or meaning for:

好玩 versus 乐子 versus 乐趣 versus 有趣的 ?

What other words for "fun" are commonly used? Is there a better word to use for saying that a "class is fun"?

(A side question: Which of the following do you feel is better: "这门中文课" or "这节中文课" or "这个中文班" if I want to say "This Chinese class is fun."?)

Thank you very much for your thoughtful answers. I really appreciate it.

[fanglu]

How would you translate the sentence, "This class is fun," into Chinese in your own words? (i.e., What's the best translation?)

A is the best.

For B and C, have a look at the usage of 是. It is not generally used in Chinese to express a characteristic of something, except as part of a 是... 的 construction. For D, 有趣 is closer to 'interesting' than 'fun'.

这门中文课" or "这节中文课" or "这个中文班"

These have different meanings. The first one refers to the subject (eg listening class), the second refers to the specific instance (eg today's class), the third to the cohort.

Which one you should use depends on what you are saying is fun.

[Pegasus]

Thank you for your response, fanglu.

这门课很好玩 makes sense to me.

In order to better my understanding, I would like to ask about the meaning of 乐子 and 乐趣 and how to use them. Do they have exactly the same meaning? Can 乐子 and 乐趣 be used to describe a Chinese class?

For B and C, have a look at the usage of 是. It is not generally used in Chinese to express a characteristic of something, except as part of a 是... 的 construction.

I think I understand what you mean here about 是 not generally being used in Chinese to express a characteristic of something, except as part of a 是...的 construction. Is it okay to use 乐子 and 乐趣 in the 是...的 construction? For example: 这门课是乐子的。 and 这门课是乐趣的。Does this also have the meaning of "This class is fun."?

Thank you very much.

[tooironic]

Seems you're mixing the meaning of a few different words around...

乐子 is a colloquial expression. It means "pleasure" not "fun" per se.

有趣 means "interesting" and is the same as 有意思.

乐趣 means "delight", "pleasure" or "joy".

"Fun" can be best translated as 好玩 IMO.

[Pegasus]

Thank you, tooironic.

Hmmm... does that make 乐子 and 乐趣 nouns? If so, what would be the right measure word to use (for example, 个)? Could you say, "这门课是一个乐趣" and "这门课是一个乐子" as in "This class is a delight/peasure/joy" and "This class is such a pleasure"?

[tooironic]

Yeah, they are nouns.

No, describing a class as a "joy", "delight" or "pleasure" in Chinese doesn't make sense.

Even in English it sounds strange you must admit.