傩

儺

nuó

亻 + 难

Definitions

nuó to exorcise demons

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 难 represents the sound. Simplified form of 儺.

Semantic: 亻 Phonetic: 难

About

傩 (simplified form of 儺) refers to an ancient ritual performance meant to expel pestilence, evil spirits, and misfortune. It is a phono-semantic compound: the person radical 亻 signals the human performers who enact the ceremony, and 难 (nán), from the traditional character 難, provides the sound. Though these exorcisms gradually evolved into theatrical folk dances with distinctive wooden masks, the character has persisted as the name for this cultural tradition.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

傩舞很有特色。

Nuówǔ hěn yǒu tèsè.

Nuo dance is very distinctive.

我们村里有傩戏表演。

Wǒmen cūnlǐ yǒu nuóxì biǎoyǎn.

There is Nuo opera performance in our village.

傩面具看起来有点吓人。

Nuó miànjù kàn qǐlái yǒudiǎn xiàrén.

Nuo masks look a bit scary.

傩文化是中国传统文化的一部分。

Nuó wénhuà shì Zhōngguó chuántǒng wénhuà de yī bùfen.

Nuo culture is part of Chinese traditional culture.

古代的傩仪式用来驱鬼辟邪。

Gǔdài de nuó yíshì yòng lái qū guǐ bì xié.

Ancient Nuo rituals were used to drive away ghosts and evil spirits.

傩戏和京剧都是重要的戏曲形式。

Nuóxì hé jīngjù dōu shì zhòngyào de xìqǔ xíngshì.

Nuo opera and Beijing opera are both important forms of opera.

在节日里，人们戴着傩面具跳舞。

Zài jiérì lǐ, rénmen dàizhe nuó miànjù tiàowǔ.

During the festival, people wear Nuo masks and dance.

虽然傩戏起源于宗教仪式，但现在它已经成为一种艺术表演。

Suīrán nuóxì qǐyuán yú zōngjiào yíshì, dàn xiànzài tā yǐjīng chéngwéi yī zhǒng yìshù biǎoyǎn.

Although Nuo opera originated from religious rituals, now it has become a form of artistic performance.

Related Characters

Component: 亻

Component: 难