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耍

Mandarin · pinyin shuǎ#

to play with
to wield
to act (cool etc)
to display (a skill, one's temper etc)

Mandarin · pinyin Shuǎ#

surname Shua

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耍: shuǎ · frolic, play, amuse, play with

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

3 · shua3

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 10 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

saa2

Cantonese word readings for 耍. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character · Etymology 1

to play; to frolic; to amuse oneself
to make a fool of; to play tricks on
to perform; to play with; to fiddle with; to flourish
to brandish; to wield; to wave; to wield
to show off; to display; to act; to trick; to fool
(colloquial) to gamble
(Cantonese) short for 耍太極／耍太极
(Dongguan Cantonese) bright red; scarlet; crimson
a surname

character · Etymology 2

(Southern Min) to play

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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