play

Original meaning: 

military troops outside the main group

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "military troops outside the main group". The meaning later shifted to "sport" and "play".

Components
䖒 sound component

  Sound component

  

earthenware with the shape of a bean

戈 meaning component

  Meaning component

  

spear

Evolution

戲 Bronze script Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze script

Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
戲 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
戲 Clerical script Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)

Clerical script

Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
戲 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

() 

theatrical play, show; trick; drama; play; show; CL:|[chū],|[chǎng],|[tái]

Most common words with 戲
Freq.
Word
Meaning

游戏

game

trick

戏剧

drama

演戏

to perform

把戏

acrobatics