TongTong
Sign in

剧院 (jù yuàn) — theater

Definition

剧院 is the BUILDING where performances are shown; it takes measure words 家/座. 戏剧 is the art form of theater, and 剧场 is also a theater venue (often more formal).

noun
theater
Measure word · 家, 座

Examples

  • 剧院。
    Zhè jù yuàn néng zuò yì qiān duō rén.
    This theater can seat over a thousand people.
  • 剧院。
    Wǒ zài zhè jiā jù yuàn kàn guò hǎo jǐ chǎng diàn yǐng.
    I've watched several movies at this theater.
  • 剧院。
    Nà zuò jù yuàn jiù zài shì zhōng xīn.
    That theater is right in the city center.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

剧jùplay
院yuànbuilding

剧 names plays and 院 names a building, so the word means a place for plays.

Characters in this word

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 劇; 剧 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刀刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
豦
豦jù劇jù
Same sound today

The traditional form 劇 pairs 豦, which gives the sound, with 刀, a knife; the simplified 剧 is a later shorthand.

Open 剧 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
完
完wán院yuàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

院 is built from 阝, written in full as 阜, and 完, which gives the sound.

Open 院 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4Film & Theater5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 4 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.