戏 meaning and stroke order
Trick; drama; play
How to write 戏, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Meaning of 戏
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- trick
- drama
- play
- show
- variant of 戲|戏[xi4]
How 戏 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A hand 又 doing tricks with a spear 戈.
Radical: 戈 (spear), shared by 34 characters on this site.
How to remember 戏
On the left is a hand 又 (yòu), and on the right is a spear 戈 (gē). Picture a performer twirling a spear with one hand to put on a show for a crowd.
戏 (xì) usually means a play, show, or performance. It appears in many common words like 游戏 (yóuxì, game), 戏剧 (xìjù, drama), and 马戏 (mǎxì, circus). Example: 我们周末去看戏吧。(Wǒmen zhōumò qù kàn xì ba.) Let's go see a show this weekend.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 戏 (xì) with 戈 (gē) or with 找 (zhǎo). Remember that 戏 has 又 on the left, while 找 has the hand radical 扌. Also keep the fourth tone in xì. Do not say xī or xǐ.
Common words with 戏
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 游戏 | yóuxì | game (CL:場|场[chang3]); to play | HSK 3 |
| 戏剧 | xìjù | a drama; a play; theater; script of a play | HSK 5 |
| 游戏机 | yóuxìjī | video game machine; video game console | HSK 6 |
| 戏曲 | xìqǔ | Chinese opera | HSK 6 |
| 演戏 | yǎnxì | to put on a play; to perform | HSK 7-9 |
| 拍戏 | pāixì | to shoot a movie | HSK 7-9 |
| 马戏 | mǎxì | circus | HSK 7-9 |
| 把戏 | bǎxì | acrobatics; jugglery; trick; ploy | |
| 马戏团 | mǎxìtuán | circus | |
| 没戏 | méixì | (coll.) not a chance; no way | |
| 戏剧性 | xìjùxìng | dramatic | |
| 戏弄 | xìnòng | to play tricks on; to make fun of | |
| 戏院 | xìyuàn | theater; cinema | |
| 调戏 | tiáoxì | to take liberties with a woman; to dally |
戏 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 戏
How many strokes are in 戏?
戏 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 戏 mean?
戏 (xì) means trick; drama; play. A common word with it is 游戏 (yóuxì), meaning "game (CL:場|场[chang3]); to play".
How do you pronounce 戏?
戏 is pronounced xì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 戏?
The radical of 戏 is 戈, which carries the idea of "spear". Dictionaries list 戏 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 戏?
The traditional form of 戏 is 戯 and 戲. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 戏 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 戏 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 戏 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 游戏 and 戏剧?
游戏 (yóuxì) means a game or to play, including video games. 戏剧 (xìjù) means drama or theater, the kind of performance actors put on a stage.
What does 把戏 mean when someone says it about a person?
把戏 (bǎxì) can mean acrobatics or a juggling act. It is often used negatively to mean a trick or ploy, as in 别耍把戏 (bié shuǎ bǎxì), don't play tricks.