The word 伎俩 is formed by combining two characters, each constructed as a phonosemantic compound. 伎 uses the meaning radical 亻 (person) and the phonetic component 支 (zhī) to suggest a skill or trick associated with a person. 俩 similarly employs the radical 亻 (person) and the phonetic component 两 (liǎng) to imply involvement or plurality. Together, these characters create a compound word meaning deceptive tricks or schemes.