压轴戏 (yā zhòu xì) — second-to-last (and climactic) item on a program; climax, grand finale, highlight

Definition

Literally 'second-to-last act', the climactic or star item near the end of a program — NOT the final item, which is called 大轴. Use 压轴戏 for the headlining highlight.

noun
second-to-last (and climactic) item on a programclimaxgrand finalehighlight
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 压轴戏《》。
    Jīn wǎn xì qǔ wǎn huì de yā zhòu xì shì 《guì fēi zuì jiǔ》.
    The second-to-last item of tonight's opera gala is "The Drunken Beauty."
  • 压轴戏。
    Zhěng chǎng bǐ sài de yā zhòu xì shì zuì hòu shí fēn zhōng de jué shā qiú.
    The climax of the whole game was the winning shot in the final ten minutes.
  • 压轴戏，“”。
    Hěn duō rén yǐ wéi yā zhòu xì jiù shì zuì hòu yí gè jié mù, qí shí zuì hòu yí gè jiào "dà zhóu".
    Many people think yazhouxi is the last item, but actually the last one is called dazhou.

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.

压轴press the axis
压yāpress轴zhóuaxis
动宾Verb + object
戏xìplay

A 戏 that 压 the 轴, the climactic next-to-last program item.

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 壓; 压 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔdust
Sound part声符shēngfú
厭
厭yàn壓yā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 壓 is built from 土, dust, and 厭, which gives the sound; 压 is the simplified form of 壓.

Open 压 →

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 軸; 轴 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcart, carriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
由
由yóu軸zhóu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 軸 pairs 車 (cart) with a part that gives the sound, 由; it pictures an axle passing through a cartwheel. The simplified 轴 is a later abbreviation.

Open 轴 →

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 戲; 戏 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
戈戈gēhalberd
Sound part声符shēngfú
䖒
䖒䖒戲xì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 戲, the shape combines 戈 (halberd) with 䖒, which gives the sound; the word originally meant an army's wing or flank. The simplified 戏 is a later shorthand, not the form described here.

Open 戏 →

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