马戏

• Pinyin: mǎ xì
• Hanzi breakdown: 马 = pictograph of a horse; 戏 = 又 (hand) + 戈 (spear) + additional elements — play, performance

Meaning

Circus; a form of live entertainment featuring acrobatics, animal performances, clowns, and other acts. Literally 'horse show,' historically centred on equestrian feats.

马戏 or 马戏团 (circus troupe) encompasses all circus arts in modern Chinese. Used for both traditional Chinese acrobatic troupes and Western-style circuses. As animal welfare awareness rises, many troupes now replace animal acts with human acrobatics.

Examples

1. 这家马戏团拥有百年历史，以精彩的空中飞人和驯兽表演吸引着来自各地的观众。 This circus has a century-long history and draws audiences from all over with its thrilling flying trapeze acts and trained-animal performances.
2. 孩子们兴奋地看着马戏团的小丑表演，笑声传遍了整个帐篷。 The children watched the clowns with excitement, and laughter echoed throughout the entire tent.
3. 随着动物保护意识的提升，越来越多的马戏团开始以人类杂技替代动物表演。 As awareness of animal protection has grown, more and more circuses have begun replacing animal acts with human acrobatics.

Usage Guide

Context: entertainment, culture, arts

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 中国传统马戏以叠罗汉、顶碗和走钢丝等高难度杂技为核心技艺，与西方马戏侧重动物表演的风格有所不同。(Traditional Chinese circus arts centre on high-difficulty acrobatic skills such as human towers, bowl balancing, and tightrope walking, which differs stylistically from Western circuses that emphasise animal performances.)
• 现代马戏团逐渐融入灯光秀、音乐剧和多媒体元素，使传统表演形式焕发出全新的时代活力。(Modern circuses are progressively incorporating light shows, musicals, and multimedia elements, breathing new vitality into traditional performance forms.)

Don't Say

• 将马戏与杂技完全等同 — while acrobatics (杂技) is a core component of 马戏, the latter is a broader performance genre that includes clowns, animal acts, and theatrical elements; 杂技 focuses specifically on physical skill

Origin & History

马 (horse) + 戏 (play/performance) — originally referring to equestrian shows; extended to encompass all circus arts

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal