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台步 (tái bù) — the stylized walking steps performed by actors in Chinese opera

Definition

台步 (táibù) is the stylized, trained walk used in Chinese opera — not ordinary walking. It's a performance technique specific to stage acting, most associated with Peking opera (京剧).

noun
the stylized walking steps performed by actors in Chinese opera

Examples

  • 台步。
    Liàn xí tái bù xū yào hěn cháng shí jiān de gōng fu.
    Practicing stage walks requires a long time of kung fu.
  • 台步。
    Zhè wèi yǎn yuán de tái bù fēi cháng wěn jiàn.
    This actor's stage walk is very steady.
  • 台步。
    Jīng jù de tái bù bù tóng yú pǔ tōng zǒu lù.
    The stage walk in Peking opera is different from ordinary walking.

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.

台táistage
步bùstep

台 refers to the stage and 步 to steps or walking, giving the stage gait.

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 臺; 台 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 台 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (窗台, 电视台) it is 臺; in others (台灯, 台球) (台风) it is 檯 or 台 or 颱.

The traditional form 臺 is the 喬 + 室 form; earlier versions combined a sound part with 室, and an old reading saw it as a watch tower.

Open 台 →

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

步 uses two 止 (foot) forms, one reversed, to show one foot stepping in front of the other.

Open 步 →
Appears in
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