滑稽戏 (huá jī xì) — farce

Definition

滑稽戏 is a traditional Chinese comic-theater form, especially associated with Shanghai, more theatrical and performative than a Western 'farce' (which it translates as). Distinct from the HSK 6 word 喜剧, which refers to comedy as a broader category.

noun
farce
Measure word · 出

Examples

  • 滑稽戏。
    Zhè chǎng huá jī xì ràng guān zhòng xiào dé hěn kāi xīn.
    This farce made the audience laugh joyfully.
  • 滑稽戏。
    Shàng hǎi huá jī xì shì yì zhǒng hěn yǒu dì fāng tè sè de biǎo yǎn yì shù.
    Shanghai farce is a performing art with strong local characteristics.
  • 滑稽戏，。
    Tā cóng xiǎo jiù xǐ huan kàn huá jī xì, zhǎng dà hòu chéng le yì míng xǐ jù yǎn yuán.
    He loved watching farces since childhood and became a comedian when he grew up.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

滑稽comical
滑huá稽jī
戏xìplay

滑稽 means comical and 戏 means play, together a comical play.

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
骨
骨gǔ滑huá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

滑 pairs 水 (water) with 骨, which gives the sound.

Open 滑 →

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
頁頁yèperson's head
Sound part声符shēngfú
旨
旨zhǐ稽jī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

稽 keeps 旨 for the sound; its original form used 頁, a person's head, for the meaning.

Open 稽 →

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 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.