Fluentide
HSK 3

游戏

game

nounneutral1 episode
yóu2nd tone
4th tone

HSK level

1
2
3
4
5
6
Pinyin
yóuxì
Part of speech
noun
Level
HSK 3
Strokes
18
Register
neutral
Measure word
个 / 种
In episodes
1

Stroke order for 游戏

游戏 is written with 18 strokes (: 12, : 6). The animation replays automatically.

What does 游戏 mean?

游戏 (yóuxì) is the Chinese noun for 'game' — covering everything from a children's playground game to a video game on your phone.

Literally 'play + amuse,' the word fits both kid play (做游戏 — 'play a game') and modern digital games (玩游戏 — 'play a video game'; 手机游戏 — 'mobile game'). The verb that goes with 游戏 is ('to play'): 我喜欢玩游戏 ('I like playing games'). Don't say 做游戏 for video games — is used for organized children's group games.

游戏 can also serve as a verb in compounds like 游戏人间 (a literary 'play with life'), but in daily speech it is overwhelmingly a noun. A common compound: 游戏机 ('gaming console'). For board games specifically, native speakers often say 桌游 (zhuōyóu).

Character by character

yóuto swim; to travel; to roam
+
play; drama; show
=
游戏

Memory hook: Roam + play — to roam around playing, i.e. a game.

Hear 游戏 in real episodes

游戏 appears in 1 Fluentide podcast episode at natural native speed — each with the full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.

Browse the full episode library

Example sentences

我弟弟很喜欢玩游戏。

Wǒ dìdi hěn xǐhuan wán yóuxì.

My younger brother really likes playing games.

spoken

这个游戏很有意思。

Zhège yóuxì hěn yǒu yìsi.

This game is really fun.

spoken

孩子们在公园里做游戏。

Háizimen zài gōngyuán lǐ zuò yóuxì.

The children are playing games in the park.

neutral

别玩手机游戏了,去睡觉。

Bié wán shǒujī yóuxì le, qù shuìjiào.

Stop playing mobile games and go to sleep.

spoken

我们一起玩个游戏吧。

Wǒmen yìqǐ wán ge yóuxì ba.

Let's play a game together.

spoken

Common phrases with 游戏

玩游戏wán yóuxìplay a game; play video games
手机游戏shǒujī yóuxìmobile game
电脑游戏diànnǎo yóuxìcomputer game
游戏机yóuxìjīgame console
做游戏zuò yóuxìplay a game (children's group game)

Synonyms

比赛bǐsài

比赛 is 'match / competition' — has winners and losers, often organized. 足球比赛 ('soccer match'). 游戏 is broader 'play,' competitive or not.

Don't confuse 游戏 with

游泳yóuyǒng

游泳 means 'to swim' — same first character but completely different meaning. 去游泳 ('go swimming') vs 玩游戏 ('play games').

alone usually means 'play / opera / drama' — 京戏 ('Peking opera'). 游戏 specifically means 'game.'

玩具wánjù

玩具 is a 'toy' — a physical object. 游戏 is an activity. A kid plays 游戏 with 玩具.

FAQ

Related words from the same episodes

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