戏耍 (xì shuǎ) — to make fun of, to tease

Definition

verb
to make fun ofto tease

Examples

  • 戏耍，。
    Tā xǐ huan xì shuǎ bié rén, dàn dà jiā dōu bù xǐ huan tā.
    He likes to make fun of others, but everyone doesn't like him.
  • 戏耍，。
    Bié xì shuǎ tā le, tā yǐ jīng hěn nán guò le.
    Don't tease him; he's already very sad.
  • 戏耍，。
    Tā men jīng cháng hù xiāng xì shuǎ, guān xì hěn hǎo.
    They often tease each other and have a good relationship.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

戏xìtease
耍shuǎplay

“戏” tease and “耍” play together mean to tease.

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 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 耍 →

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