京剧分为生、旦、净、丑、小生、文堂、武行七行，每一行当又分为很多细致的行当。这些行当大都是以性别、年龄、性格、身份、职务、地位、道德情操、化妆特点、表演技艺的侧重来划分的。
peking opera is divided into seven roles: sheng (male), dan (female), jing (painted face), chou (clown), xiao sheng (young male), wen tang (scholarly roles), and wu hang (martial roles), with each role further subdivided into many detailed categories. these roles are mostly categorized based on gender, age, personality, status, position, morality, makeup characteristics, and performance skills.
文弱书生与豪爽斗士，贾府的焦大与林黛玉，从心理到外形都有很大的差异，在舞台上就要有不同条件和类型的演员采用不同的表现方法，在戏曲中就要有不同的表演规范和程式。因此，在戏曲发展的过程中，区分人物类别的行当也就应运而生。
from weak scholars to bold warriors, from jia's housekeeper jiao da to lin daiyu, there are significant differences in both psychology and appearance. therefore, different actors with various conditions and types must adopt different performance methods on stage, and different performance standards and programs must be established in the opera. thus, with the development of opera, the distinction of character categories also emerged.
例如，生行是扮演男性角色的一种行当。老生，主要扮演中年以上性格正直刚毅的正面人物 ；小生，扮演青年男性；武生，主要扮演的是勇猛战将。
花旦：从服装上来说，花旦都是穿裙衣裳。即便是穿长衣裳也绣着色彩鲜艳的花样。从年龄上看，都是扮演青年女性。
武旦：武旦是表演一些精通武艺的女性角色。
for example, the sheng role is a category of male characters. old sheng: primarily portraying upright and courageous middle-aged or older characters. xiao sheng: portraying young male characters. wu sheng: mainly portraying brave warriors. hua dan (female): from the perspective of costumes, hua dan characters always wear skirts, even if wearing long robes, they are adorned with colorful floral patterns. from an age perspective, they typically portray young female characters. wu dan: wu dan characters perform female roles proficient in martial arts.
责编：刘冰