「折子戲」之「折子」原指書寫在「摺子」上的片段劇本，由於其短小便於掌中把握，亦稱「掌記」。而「摺」通稱「折」，故亦寫作「折子」。文獻上「折子戲」或稱「折」，或稱「齣」，俗稱「折子」，不過是在「折」字下加詞尾「子」，使之成為帶詞尾之複詞「折子」以便稱呼；其結構亦如在「齣」字下加詞尾「頭」，使之成為「齣頭」。但由於「齣頭」說的人少，「折子」和「折子戲」便成為通行的戲曲名詞。其選輯因大抵取全本之菁華，故每以「摘錦」、「奏錦」、「錦曲」、「萬錦」、「合錦」，或「選粹」、「萃雜」、「拾翠」稱之，但也有逕以其出諸眾多之全本而稱之為「雜出」、「雜曲」、「雜戲」、「雜劇」。而將「折子戲」用來稱呼短小獨立經舞臺實踐具行當藝術的戲曲名詞，則晚至一九四九年中共建國之初，因為民國早期之戲曲名家如齊如山、莊清逸、傅惜華等尚沿襲明清稱之為「折」或「齣」。 「折子戲」其實為中國戲曲演出的古老傳統，這種傳統見諸先秦至唐代的「戲曲小戲」和宋金雜劇院本四段中的「段」、北曲雜劇四折每折作獨立性演出的「折」，以及明清民間小戲與南雜劇之一折短劇。其緣故是中國有以樂侑酒的傳統禮俗，也有家樂的傳統，而明代的家樂又特別繁盛。以樂侑酒，其所演出的戲曲勢必不能冗長；而北劇南戲演全本的時間，北劇要一個下午或一個晚上，南戲傳奇則要兩個晝夜或三個晝夜。都非「侑酒」所容許，因而採取傳統的片段性演出。在明正德嘉靖間，北劇南戲刊本就有摘套與散齣的現象，如《盛世新聲》、《雍熙樂府》等，而《迎神賽社禮節傳簿》也反映了民間祀神禮儀中零折散出的演出情形。 明萬曆以後，「折子戲」已經發展完成，從此進入了黃金時代，迄今不衰。它在明清兩代固然盛行於家樂之中，但江湖優伶戲班所慣演全本戲的大眾劇場，乃至於宮廷、祠廟、勾欄、客店、酒館、船舫也都擋不住「折子戲」的潮流，這在文人觀劇記載和相關資料都可以清楚的看出來。也因此今日留下的折子戲劇目，無論崑劇或京劇均有成千上百。 因為發展完成之後的折子戲具有短小獨立、舞臺實踐求精進、行當藝術化三個要件，而這三要件都在藝人手中成就。所以折子戲雖然不能像全本戲那樣反映廣闊的政治社會和生活，但卻可以言簡意賅，以小見大，窺豹一斑。

The term zhezi in zhezixi (one act play)originally refers to one part of a play written on a folder, also called zhangji (notes held by hand), which is thin and small enough for the readers or audience to hold in their hands easily. In fact, while the experts of Chinese theater in the early Republican period such as Qi Rushan, Zhuang Qingyi and Fu Xihua still used the old terms of zhe (act) or chu (scene), the term zhezixi was not used for a short and independent production of traditional Chinese theater until as late as 1949. Zhezixi is in fact part of the old tradition of Chinese theater, which has appeared as xiqu xiaoxi (small play of the traditional Chinese theater) from Pre-Qin to Tang, duan (part) in the Song and Jin yuanben plays with four parts, zhe in the Northern zaju plays with four acts, and one act short plays in the Ming-Qing folk xiaoxi and Southern zaju drama. Such theatrical convention is formed on the basis of traditional ritual in which drinking is accompanied with music, and the tradition of training a private theatrical troupe at one’s home, which was very popular in the Ming dynasty. Since drinking is usually accompanied with music, the play chosen to be performed cannot be too long. However, the lengths of time required for performing the Northern and Southern drama are different. While one afternoon or one evening for the former is enough, two or three days for the latter would be necessary. In the Zhengde and Jiajing periods of the Ming, there appeared the phenomenona of zhai tao (selected song sets) and san chu (selected scenes), as in the song collections of Shengshi xinsheng (New Sounds for a Magnificent Age) and Yongxi yuefu (Songs from the Bureau of Music in This Era of Peace and Joy). In the Wanli period of the Ming, zhezixi fully developed and entered into a golden age, it still has its energy without decline even now. Though zhezixi was mainly performed in the circle of private theatrical troupes in the Ming and Qing, it was also widely performed in the public theater, courts, temples, taverns, or wine shops, as was clearly recorded in the notes and related materials of literati. For this reason, the zhezixi plays of Kunqu or Beijing Opera have accumulated hundreds and thousands of pieces of work. The fully developed zhezixi has three requirements, such as being short and independent in size and scope, exquisite in theatrical practice, and artistic in performance. The actors and actresses themselves achieved these requirements. While zhezixi cannot reflect the broad vision of the political and social lives as well as the full-length plays, it is condensed and refined enough to convey meaningful themes.