剧目
jù mù · HSK 7
list of plays or operas
🎭📋 剧 (drama/play) + 目 (item/catalogue) = a catalogue of plays = repertoire
剧 means drama or theatrical play; 目 means item or list entry (as in 目录, a table of contents). Together they name the roster of plays or operas a company can perform.
剧 — 豦 (tiger+pig) + 刂 knife radical
Originally written 劇, a phono-semantic compound: 豦 (jù, a fierce beast) gives the sound, while 刂 (knife) suggests intensity or cutting action. The original meaning was 'severe' or 'intense,' later extended to 'drama/play' since theatrical performances were dramatic and intense. 剧 is the simplified form.