耍 meaning and stroke order
To play with; to wield; to act (cool etc)
How to write 耍, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 耍
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to play with
- to wield
- to act (cool etc)
- to display (a skill, one's temper etc)
How 耍 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A woman 女 wearing a beard 而 for disguise.
Radical: 而 (and), shared by 4 characters on this site.
How to remember 耍
Picture a woman 女 (nǚ) on top of the stage wearing a fake beard 而 (ér) as a disguise. She is playing a trick and putting on a show, which is 耍 (shuǎ).
耍 (shuǎ) often means to play or to show off something, and it frequently has a negative tone when paired with words like 赖 (lài), 花招 (huāzhāo), or 脾气 (píqi). On its own, the gentle sense of playing mostly appears in 玩耍 (wánshuǎ). Example: 他又在耍脾气。 (Tā yòu zài shuǎ píqi.) He is throwing a tantrum again.
Common mistake: Learners often write 要 (yào) instead of 耍 (shuǎ) because the two look alike. 要 has 覀 on top, while 耍 has 而 on top, which has a vertical stroke going all the way down through the box.
Common words with 耍
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 玩耍 | wánshuǎ | to play (as children do); to amuse oneself | HSK 7-9 |
| 耍赖 | shuǎlài | to act shamelessly; to refuse to acknowledge that one has lost the game, or made a promise | HSK 7-9 |
| 耍花招 | shuǎhuāzhāo | to play tricks on sb | |
| 耍花样 | shuǎhuāyàng | to play tricks on sb | |
| 杂耍 | záshuǎ | a sideshow; vaudeville | |
| 耍嘴皮子 | shuǎzuǐpízi | to talk glibly; to talk big |
耍 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 耍
How many strokes are in 耍?
耍 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 耍 mean?
耍 (shuǎ) means to play with; to wield; to act (cool etc). A common word with it is 玩耍 (wánshuǎ), meaning "to play (as children do); to amuse oneself".
How do you pronounce 耍?
耍 is pronounced shuǎ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 耍?
The radical of 耍 is 而, which carries the idea of "and". Dictionaries list 耍 under this radical.
Is 耍 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 耍 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 玩 (wán) and 耍 (shuǎ)?
玩 (wán) is the everyday word for play and has no negative feeling. 耍 (shuǎ) is used less on its own and often means to show off or to pull something, like 耍赖 (shuǎlài) or 耍花招 (shuǎhuāzhāo). In some regions, such as Sichuan, people do say 耍 casually to mean hang out or have fun.
What does 耍我 (shuǎ wǒ) mean?
耍我 (shuǎ wǒ) means to mess with me or to make a fool of me. For example, 你别耍我。 (Nǐ bié shuǎ wǒ.) means Don't mess with me, or Stop playing games with me.