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Glite Dictionary
🧑 A family name 🎶 A Chinese instrument 🎭 Male opera role 📏 A volume unit
sheng

sheng

9.9
A main male role in traditional Chinese opera who sings and acts
  • noun
  • /ʃɛŋ/
  • Jargon
translation icon : sheng
  • He trained for years to master the demanding sheng roles in Beijing opera.

Examples

  • Each sheng character requires a unique singing and acting style in Chinese opera.

  • The audience admired the actor's performance as a sheng in the traditional play.

  • The lead actor played the sheng in the opera.

  • In Peking opera, a skilled sheng can captivate the audience.

  • In Peking opera, the talented actor showcased his skills as a sheng during the performance.

  • The role of a sheng is essential in traditional Chinese opera, often depicting heroic figures.

  • To portray a convincing sheng, an actor must master both singing and martial arts.

Compounds

sheng nu
  • Slur
9.9

An educated woman in China who is unmarried in her late twenties or older

Surface Forms

sheng singular
shengs plural

Etymology

Sheng comes from the Chinese character 生, which originally meant 'life' or 'young person' and became the name for the main male actor in traditional Chinese opera. So a Sheng is the male 'lead' on stage.