戱 (xì) - Play, drama, theatrical performance & to play, to jest, to make fun of

戱Tone 4

xì ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

万响

戱 · xì

Play, drama, theatrical performance;

to play, to jest, to make fun of;

military flag or banner.

Play, drama, theatrical performanceto play, to jest, to make fun ofmilitary flag or banner.

Usage highlights

Drama/playTo perform operaTo jokeTheatrical troupePeking operaTo play games

Synonyms

  • 戲— Standard simplified form of 戱
  • 玩— to play, to have fun
  • 劇— drama, play

Antonyms

  • 真— real, genuine
  • 實— real, actual
  • 嚴肅— serious, solemn

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • We watched a Peking opera performance (看京戱).
  • Children love to play games (玩戱).
  • He was just joking (開戱笑).
  • The theatrical troupe performed (戱班表演).

Collocations

  • Drama/play(戱劇)
  • To perform opera(唱戱)
  • To joke(開戱)
  • Theatrical troupe(戱班)
  • Peking opera(京戱)
  • To play games(玩戱)

Idioms

  • Life is like a play, play like life(人生如戱，戱如人生)
  • A single wrong word ruins the whole show(一字錯，全盤戱)
  • Playing with fire(玩火自焚戱)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally referred to military flags or banners in ancient times, later extended to theatrical performances.
  • In Chinese culture, '戱' represents the concept that 'life is like a drama' - emphasizing the theatrical nature of human existence.
  • Traditional Chinese opera (戱曲) is an important cultural heritage with highly stylized performance conventions.

FAQ