幕 (mù) — (classifier) act (of a play, opera, or stage performance)

Definition

幕 (mù) is a measure word that counts the acts of a play, opera, or stage performance — one 幕 is one major division of the show. Don't confuse it with the noun sense of 幕 (curtain/headquarters), which is rare at this level.

classifier
act (of a play, opera, or stage performance)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 幕。
    Zhè bù huà jù yí gòng yǒu wǔ mù.
    This play has five acts in total.
  • 幕，。
    Yǎn dào dì sān mù de shí hou, guān zhòng dōu gǔ zhǎng le.
    When it reached the third act, the audience all applauded.
  • 幕。
    Zhè bù huà jù fēn wéi shàng xià liǎng mù.
    This play is divided into two acts, part one and part two.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
巾巾jīncloth
Sound part声符shēngfú
莫
莫mò幕mù
Same sound today

幕 combines 莫 above 巾 (cloth); 莫 gives the sound.

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Film & TheaterMeasure Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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