影展 (yǐng zhǎn) — (noun) photographic exhibition; (noun) film fes…

Definition

Short for 摄影展 ('photo exhibition') or 电影展 ('film festival/fair'). The exact meaning depends on context — art/photography events vs. cinema showcases.

noun

photographic exhibitionfilm festivalfilm fair

Measure word · 个

影展。
Shàng ge yuè wǒ zài měi shù guǎn kàn le yí gè yǐng zhǎn.
Last month I saw a photographic exhibition at the art museum.
影展。
Shàng hǎi guó jì yǐng zhǎn xī yǐn le xǔ duō zhù míng dǎo yǎn.
The Shanghai International Film Festival attracted many famous directors.
影展。
Zhè wèi shè yǐng shī měi nián dōu cān jiā quán guó yǐng zhǎn.
This photographer participates in the national photographic exhibition every year.

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.

影yǐngfilm/photo

展zhǎnexhibition

“影” names the films or photographs, “展” names the showing, so a film or photo exhibition.

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.

景彡影

Meaning part形符xíngfú

彡彡shān

Sound part声符shēngfú

景

Same sound today

影 pairs 景, which gives the sound and also carries the idea of image, with 彡, the part that points to shadow.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

𧝑

𧝑𧝑展zhǎn

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

展 is built from 尸 and 𧝑. The 𧝑 part points to fine red silk clothes and also contains the idea of opening or extending.