耍 (shuǎ) - to play with & to amuse oneself

耍Tone 3

shuǎ ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

树檀

耍 · shuǎ

to play with;

to amuse oneself;

to tease;

to flirt with;

to perform (tricks, acrobatics, etc.

)

to play withto amuse oneselfto tease

Usage highlights

to playto teaseto perform martial artsto play with a knifeto show offto play tricks

Synonyms

  • 玩— to play
  • 戏— to play; to joke
  • 弄— to play with; to fiddle with

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The children are playing in the yard (孩子们在院子里玩耍).
  • Don't play with fire (不要耍火).
  • He performed martial arts tricks (他耍了一套拳法).
  • She knows how to flirt and tease (她很会耍弄风情).

Collocations

  • to play(玩耍)
  • to tease(耍弄)
  • to perform martial arts(耍拳)
  • to play with a knife(耍刀)
  • to show off(耍帅)
  • to play tricks(耍花招)

Idioms

  • To play with power and scheme(耍权弄术)
  • To play with words(耍嘴皮子)
  • To play the fool(耍活宝)
  • To play with a monkey(耍猴儿)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted a woman (女) with a beard (而), suggesting playful or deceptive appearance.
  • Commonly used in contexts of entertainment, performance, and sometimes negative behavior like teasing or manipulation.
  • Frequently appears in colloquial expressions describing playful or unserious behavior.

FAQ