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戏曲 (xì qǔ) — Chinese traditional opera (generic term for over 300 regional forms); traditional Chinese opera combining music, singing, acting, and acrobatics

Definition

戏曲 is the umbrella term for all traditional Chinese opera forms (over 300 regional styles). 京剧 is just one famous style within 戏曲; 曲艺 is a different umbrella covering folk storytelling arts like 相声.

noun
Chinese traditional opera (generic term for over 300 regional forms)traditional Chinese opera combining music, singing, acting, and acrobatics

Examples

  • 戏曲，、。
    Zhōng guó xì qǔ de zhǒng lèi fēi cháng duō, yǒu jīng jù, yuè jù děng.
    There are many types of Chinese opera, such as Peking opera and Yue opera.
  • 戏曲。
    Zuó tiān wǎn shàng de xì qǔ biǎo yǎn xī yǐn le hěn duō guān zhòng.
    Last night's Chinese opera performance attracted many viewers.
  • 戏曲，。
    Tā cóng xiǎo jiù rè ài xì qǔ, jué de zhè shì zhōng guó wén huà de zhòng yào bù fen.
    He has loved Chinese opera since childhood and considers it an important part of Chinese culture.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

戏xìdrama
曲qǔtune

戏 (drama) and 曲 (tune) bring together acted drama and sung music, naming Chinese opera.

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.

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 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

曲 is drawn as a bent object, matching the meaning 'bend'.

Open 曲 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6

Browse more HSK 6 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.