耍

• Pinyin: shuǎ
• Hanzi breakdown: 耍 = 而 + 女 (beard/whiskers + woman — associated with play and performance; to play; to brandish; to use tricks)

Meaning

To play; to perform; to brandish; to use (tricks, skills, or cunning); to act in a playful or deceptive manner.

Can be neutral: 耍杂技 (to perform acrobatics), 耍龙灯 (to perform dragon-lantern dance). Often negative: 耍手段 (to use underhand tactics), 耍流氓 (to harass; to act like a hooligan), 耍大牌 (to act like a diva). Strongly colloquial.

Examples

1. 这位艺人自幼学艺，数十年苦练，终于练成一手耍刀绝活，双刀翻飞，令人惊叹。 This performer learned the art from childhood and, after decades of hard practice, finally mastered a superb sword-flourishing skill that left the audience amazed.
2. 分析人士指出，该党选前选后口径大变，与其说是真转向，不如说是在耍选民，借此延续权力。 Analysts said the party changed its message before and after the election; rather than a real shift, it was playing the voters to keep power.
3. 孩子学会说话后，便开始耍小花样、试探边界，这正是创造性发展的信号。 After learning to speak, children begin to play little tricks and test boundaries, which is a sign of creative development.

Usage Guide

Context: performance, politics, social commentary, everyday speech

Tone: colloquial

Do Say

• 老手都知道，在关键条款上耍小聪明、故意含糊，只是短期策略，迟早会毁掉信任。(Experienced negotiators know that playing tricks on key clauses and deliberately staying vague is only a short-term tactic that will eventually destroy trust.)
• 京剧武旦演员耍刀花，讲究腕力、节奏和身段配合，每一招都靠多年苦练。(When a Peking Opera wudan performer flourishes a sword, it depends on wrist strength, rhythm, and body coordination, with every move built on years of hard practice.)

Don't Say

• 耍 in formal or official writing — 耍 is inherently colloquial and informal; for formal contexts use 使用 (to use/employ) for neutral actions, 操纵 (to manipulate) for negative actions, or 表演 (to perform) for performances; 耍 in formal writing sounds jarring and unprofessional

Origin & History

耍 = 而 + 女 (beard/whiskers + woman — originally associated with play or performance; now means to play, brandish, or use tricks)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal