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嬉 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
嬉xīto enjoy; to play, to amuse oneselfzg, 15 strokes, radical 女, rank #11276, Very Hard
嬉xīamusementunknown, 15 strokes, radical 女, rank #11276, Very Hard
xī(xi1)xi T1
  1. 1to enjoy; to play, to amuse oneself
  2. 2amusement
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March 24, 2026

嬉xī(xi1)

The character 嬉 (xī) denotes the idea of enjoyment and playfulness. It is often used in contexts related to amusement, fun, or playful activities, conveying a sense of lightheartedness and joy. This character commonly appears in phrases or contexts that describe playful interactions or joyful experiences.

Strokes15Radical女Frequency#11276DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, festivals and celebrations often involve playful activities and games, reflecting the value placed on enjoyment and community bonding. The character 嬉 embodies this cultural spirit of joyfulness during such events.

Memory Tip

Imagine a child playing joyfully in a park, laughing and having fun. The character 嬉 looks like a person (the left side) enjoying their time in a lively, playful environment (the right side). This visual representation can help you remember both the meaning and pronunciation of 'xī' as it embodies the essence of play and enjoyment.

Meanings of 嬉

xī(xi1)
1to enjoy; to play, to amuse oneself
2amusement
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 嬉 means.

About 嬉

嬉Simplified
15Strokes
女Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 嬉

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Podcast: 嬉

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AI Study Notes for 嬉

Quick Contrast

嬉 (xī) vs 玩 (wán): choose 嬉 when emphasizing enjoyment and playfulness, while 玩 focuses more on the act of playing or engaging in an activity.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 嬉 with similar-sounding words that have different meanings. This character is generally informal, used in casual conversation rather than formal writing. Common collocations include 嬉闹 (xī nào), meaning to play and make noise, which emphasizes the lively aspect of play.

HSK Study Tips

While 嬉 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it can be connected to HSK words related to emotions and activities, such as 玩 (wán, to play) or 快乐 (kuàilè, happy). Students should focus on understanding its playful connotation and how it fits into dialogues about leisure activities.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 嬉 with similar characters like 喜 (xǐ, to like) due to their similar sounds. Remember that 嬉 specifically relates to play and amusement, while 喜 is about liking or joy.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 嬉

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Etymology of 嬉

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 喜 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

woman

Semantic (meaning)女
+
Phonetic (sound)喜
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

嬉 = 女 + 喜. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 嬉

IDS Structure⿰女喜
嬉Full Character
=
女nü3
left
喜xi3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 嬉?

How to say to enjoy; to play, to amuse oneself in Chinese

“to enjoy; to play, to amuse oneself” in Chinese is嬉xī

The character 嬉 (xī) denotes the idea of enjoyment and playfulness. It is often used in contexts related to amusement, fun, or playful activities, conveying a sense of lightheartedness and joy. This character commonly appears in phrases or contexts that describe playful interactions or joyful experiences.

When to use 嬉

Be careful not to confuse 嬉 with similar-sounding words that have different meanings. This character is generally informal, used in casual conversation rather than formal writing. Common collocations include 嬉闹 (xī nào), meaning to play and make noise, which emphasizes the lively aspect of play.

嬉 or something close to it

嬉 (xī) vs 玩 (wán): choose 嬉 when emphasizing enjoyment and playfulness, while 玩 focuses more on the act of playing or engaging in an activity.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 嬉 with similar characters like 喜 (xǐ, to like) due to their similar sounds. Remember that 嬉 specifically relates to play and amusement, while 喜 is about liking or joy.

Write 嬉

嬉

Practice writing 嬉 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 嬉

嬉 carries 2 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

不能因为他蓄须就说他是____皮士。

Just because he has a beard doesn't necessarily mean he's a hippy.

Example Sentences for 嬉 (6)

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1
不能因为他蓄须就说他是嬉皮士。

bù néng yīn wéi tā xù xū jiù shuō tā shì xī pí shì。

Just because he has a beard doesn't necessarily mean he's a hippy.
2
这看起来是一部嬉皮士时代的影片。

zhè kàn qǐ lái shì yī bù xī pí shì shí dài de yǐng piàn。

This is a film which seems to hail from the hippie era.
3
狗和小孩子们在花园里嬉戏。

gǒu hé xiǎo hái zǐ mén zài huā yuán lǐ xī xì。

Dogs and little children romped happily in the garden.
4
有时海豚在船的尾流中嬉戏。

yǒu shí hǎi tún zài chuán de wěi liú zhōng xī xì。

Dolphins sometimes play in the wake of the boats.
5
他决计再到昨晚嬉戏的地方去一趟.

tā jué jì zài dào zuó wǎn xī xì de dì fāng qù yī tàng.

He determined to revisit the scene of the last evening's gambol.
6
游客晒着日光浴在海水里嬉戏。

yóu kè shài zháo rì guāng yù zài hǎi shuǐ lǐ xī xì。

Tourists sunbathe and frolic in the ocean.

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Word Family of 嬉

Words Containing This Character9
嬉xīamusement
嬉戏fun嬉戲
嬉皮士hippie (loanword)
嬉笑xīxiàoto giggle
嬉皮笑脸all smiles嬉皮笑臉
嬉笑怒骂to mock and scold嬉笑怒罵
嬉游to have fun嬉遊
嬉耍to play
业荒于嬉to be distracted from one's work and fail to achieve results (idiom)業荒於嬉
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 嬉

What does 嬉戏 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 嬉

You can use 嬉 in phrases like 嬉闹 (xī nào) which means to play and make noise, or 嬉笑 (xī xiào) meaning to laugh joyfully.

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