临场 (lín chǎng) — to be present at the scene; to appear on the spot; to sit an examination or to take part in a contest

Definition

临场 means 'on-the-spot / in the actual situation' — describes doing something live at the scene (临场发挥 'improvise', 临场经验 'real-game experience'). Often contrasts with 预先 prepared or rehearsed beforehand.

verb
to be present at the sceneto appear on the spotto sit an examination or to take part in a contest

Examples

  • 临场，。
    Tā dì yī cì lín chǎng bǐ sài, xiǎn de yǒu diǎn jǐn zhāng.
    He was a bit nervous the first time he competed.
  • ，。
    Tā jīn nián lín le liǎng chǎng gāo kǎo, zhōng yú kǎo shàng le lǐ xiǎng de dà xué.
    He sat for the college entrance exam twice this year and finally got into his ideal university.
  • 临场。
    Yī shēng bì xū néng lín chǎng chǔ lǐ jǐn jí qíng kuàng.
    Doctors must be able to handle emergencies on the spot.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

临línarrive at
场chǎngscene

临 means to arrive at and 场 means scene, so it describes being present at the scene.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 臨; 临 is its simplified writing.

For the traditional form 臨, 人 is a person, 臣 is an eye, and 品 is objects, showing a person looking down at objects.

Open 临 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 場; 场 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng場chǎng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 場 pairs 土 (earth) with 昜 as a sound part; the simplified 场 is a later abbreviation, so its parts do not have that historical role.

Open 场 →

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