(diàn yǐng) - movie, film in Mandarin

diànyǐng

Traditional: 電影

HSK 1

#504 of 2,700Core 1000

Translation

movie, film

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Word origin

The word 电影 combines 电 'electricity' with 影 'shadow, image', literally 'electric shadows', the term coined for the cinema. 影 has the 彡 (decorative strokes) element and 景 (jǐng) conveying a scene or image.

Origin: compound
Root: 电 (diàn, electricity) + 影 (yǐng, shadow/image)

Stroke order

电

影

Examples

。

Let's go watch a movie.

。

This movie is really good.

？

What type of movies do you like most?

。

Let's go and see a film at the weekend.

感gǎn。

This film is especially moving.

电影 (diàn yǐng) literally means electric shadow, a term that dates to early cinema when moving pictures were described as shadows cast by light. Today it simply means film or movie. The measure word is 部 (bù) for full films or 场 (chǎng) for screenings. Common phrases include 看电影 (to watch a film), 电影院 (cinema), and 电影明星 (film star).

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Used in

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Grammar articles

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Mandarin · Free printables

电影: worksheet, infographic and listicle

Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "电影" (movie, film): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.

This word is taught in chapter 8, lesson 1: 电影, 样子, 倒 and 7 more words.