扮 (bàn), meaning “to disguise oneself” or “to play a role,” has a structure that reflects the act of changing one’s appearance or taking on a different persona.

Here’s a breakdown of its components:

• 扌 (shǒu): This radical, a stylized hand, indicates an action performed by hand. It shows that the character involves using the hand to do something, in this case, to alter one’s appearance.
• 分 (fēn): This component means “to divide,” “to separate,” or “to distribute.” It suggests the act of changing or altering something, like dividing something into parts or distributing different elements.

Combining these elements, the original meaning of 扮 likely depicted the act of “changing one’s appearance by hand” or “altering oneself to take on a different form.” This emphasizes the deliberate act of transformation, often for the purpose of disguise or role-playing.

Over time, the meaning of 扮 has remained relatively consistent:

• To disguise oneself: This refers to changing one’s appearance to conceal one’s identity or to resemble someone else.
• To play a role: This implies taking on a character or persona, often in a theatrical or dramatic context.
• To pretend: This suggests acting in a way that is not genuine or true to oneself.

The character 扮 is used in various contexts related to disguise and role-playing:

• 扮演 (bànyǎn): To play a role, to act
• 装扮 (zhuāngbàn): To dress up, to disguise
• 乔装打扮 (qiáozhuāng dǎbàn): To disguise oneself, to be in disguise

The combination of “hand” and “to divide” in 扮 highlights the deliberate and transformative nature of disguising oneself or taking on a different role. It reflects the human capacity for creativity, performance, and the ability to step outside of one’s usual identity.