大特写 (dà tè xiě) — big close-up (in film or photography)

Definition

noun

big close-up (in film or photography)

大特写。
Dǎo yǎn yòng le yí gè dà tè xiě lái biǎo xiàn rén wù de qíng xù.
The director used a big close-up to express the character's emotion.
大特写，。
Zhè zhāng zhào piàn yòng le dà tè xiě, xì jié fēi cháng qīng xī.
This photo uses a big close-up; the details are very clear.
大特写，。
Zài dà tè xiě zhōng, yǎn yuán de biǎo qíng bèi fàng dà dé hěn míng xiǎn.
In a big close-up, the actor's expression is magnified very clearly.

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.

特写close-up

特tèspecial写xiědepiction

偏正Modifier + head

It names a big 大 close-up 特写.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 大 is a picture of a person standing and facing forward, not of someone stretching their arms.

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

牛寺特

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

寺

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape combines 牛 (ox) with 寺, which gives the pronunciation; it originally meant a large bull.

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 寫; 写 is its simplified writing.

宀舄寫

Meaning part形符xíngfú

宀宀mián

Sound part声符shēngfú

舄

舄xì寫xiě

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 寫 combines 宀 with 舄 for the sound; this note is about 寫, not the simplified 写.