抢镜头 (qiǎng jìng tóu) — to steal the show; to seek the limelight; (literal) to jostle for a good camera angle or photo opportunity

Definition

A 离合词 (separable verb) that originally means reporters physically jostling for a good camera angle, now commonly used to mean 'steal the show / hog the spotlight'. The 镜 and 头 can separate (抢镜头 → 抢一次镜头) for aspect/quantifier insertion.

verb
to steal the showto seek the limelight(literal) to jostle for a good camera angle or photo opportunity

Examples

  • 抢镜头，。
    Tā zài yàn huì shàng zǒng shì xiǎng bàn fǎ qiǎng jìng tóu, shí zài ràng rén fǎn gǎn.
    He always tries to steal the show at banquets, which is really off-putting.
  • ，，。
    Wèi le nà ge jìng tóu, tā qiǎng le yí cì jìng tóu, jié guǒ bèi dǎo yǎn mà le.
    He grabbed a camera shot once for that scene and ended up getting scolded by the director.
  • 抢镜头，。
    Jì zhě men dōu zài nà lǐ qiǎng jìng tóu, gēn běn méi rén tīng wǒ shuō huà.
    The reporters were all jostling for camera angles, and no one was listening to me at all.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

抢qiǎngseize
镜头camera view
镜jìnglens头tóuhead
偏正Modifier + head

抢 means to seize, and 镜头 is the camera view.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 搶; 抢 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
倉
倉cāng搶qiǎng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 搶 pairs 扌 (hand) with 倉, which gives the sound; the simplified 抢 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the historical component.

Open 抢 →

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 鏡; 镜 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
竟
竟jìng鏡jìng
Same sound today

The traditional form 鏡 puts 金, metal, next to 竟 to give the sound. The simplified 镜 is a later shorthand.

Open 镜 →

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 頭; 头 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
豆
豆dòu頭tóu
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 頭 shows 頁, meaning head, beside 豆 as a sound component; the simplified 头 is a later shorthand.

Open 头 →

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