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嬉戏 (xī xì) — to play, frolic, sport (formal/literary)

Definition

A formal/literary verb meaning to frolic or play — used in writing (children, animals at play), not in everyday speech.

verb
to playfrolicsport (formal/literary)

Examples

  • 嬉戏。
    Hái zi men zài cǎo dì shàng xī xì.
    The children are frolicking on the grass.
  • 嬉戏。
    Xiǎo yā zi zài hú shuǐ zhōng xī xì.
    The ducklings are playing in the lake water.
  • 。
    Tā men xī le yì tiān xì.
    They frolicked for a whole day.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

嬉xīplay
戏xìplay

嬉 (play) and 戏 (play) join as near synonyms for frolicking.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
女女nǚ
Sound part声符shēngfú
喜
喜xǐ嬉⁰xī
Same sound today

嬉 has 女 on the left and 喜 on the right; the 喜 part gives the sound and means joy.

Open 嬉 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 戲; 戏 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
戈戈gēhalberd
Sound part声符shēngfú
䖒
䖒䖒戲xì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 戲, the shape combines 戈 (halberd) with 䖒, which gives the sound; the word originally meant an army's wing or flank. The simplified 戏 is a later shorthand, not the form described here.

Open 戏 →
Appears in
Hobbies & Pastimes

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