影院 (yǐng yuàn) — movie theater | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

movie theater

Measure word · 家

影院。
Wǒ men xīng qī tiān qù yǐng yuàn kàn diàn yǐng.
We go to the cinema to watch a movie on Sunday.
影院。
Zhè jiā yǐng yuàn de piào tài guì le.
This cinema's tickets are too expensive.
影院。
Xué xiào páng biān yǒu yǐng yuàn.
There is a cinema next to the school.

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.

院yuànplace; hall

The part 影 means film, and 院 means place or hall, so the word names a place for films.

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.

阝完院

Meaning part形符xíngfú

阝Written in full as阜fù

Sound part声符shēngfú

完

完wán院yuàn

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

院 is built from 阝, written in full as 阜, and 完, which gives the sound.

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