戏

The Chinese character 戏 (xì) is composed of two parts: 糸 (mì) and 戈 (gē). 糸 originally meant "silk thread" and was used to represent things related to textiles. 戈 is a pictograph of a weapon, specifically a halberd. When combined, 戏 originally meant "a performance involving martial arts and acrobatics". Over time, the meaning of 戏 expanded to include any kind of performance, including plays, operas, and movies.The character 戏 can also be used as a verb, meaning "to perform" or "to act". In this sense, it is often used in the context of performing arts. For example, the phrase 演戏 (yǎnxì) means "to perform a play".The character 戏 is also used in some idioms and proverbs. For example, the idiom 一出好戏 (yī chū hǎo xì) means "a good show" or "a great performance". The proverb 台上十分钟，台下十年功 (tái shàng shí fēn zhōng, tái xià shí nián gōng) means "ten minutes on stage, ten years of hard work off stage". This proverb is often used to emphasize the importance of practice and preparation in any field, not just in the performing arts.