戏 (xì) is a Chinese character meaning “drama”. It is written from 又 (again) and 戈 (dagger-axe (ancient pole weapon); Kangxi radical 62), side by side, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “play; game”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
又 + 戈
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分 ⿰又戈，已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔顺核验（2+4=6 笔）
Memory aid
A hand (又) on the left picks up a spear (戈) on the right — but nobody gets hurt, because it is only a play.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 游戏yóu xìgame; to play a game戏 = xìHSK 2
- 看戏kàn xìto watch a play; to see an opera戏 = xìHSK 3
Go deeper
All readings
play; game
drama; play; show; to play; to make fun of
戏剧、杂技等表演；也指玩耍、开玩笑。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 游戏yóu xìgame; to play a game戏 = xìHSK 2
- 看戏kàn xìto watch a play; to see an opera戏 = xìHSK 3
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 戏 mean?
戏 (xì) means drama; play; show; to play; to make fun of.
How do you pronounce 戏?
It is pronounced xì.
What parts is 戏 made of?
又 (again) and 戈 (dagger-axe (ancient pole weapon); Kangxi radical 62), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分 ⿰又戈，已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔顺核验（2+4=6 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 戏 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 戏?
戈. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 戏?
Common ones are 游戏 and 看戏. The reading of 戏 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.