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摄影机 (shè yǐng jī) — movie camera; video camera

Definition

noun
movie cameravideo camera
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • 摄影机。
    Dǎo yǎn yòng shè yǐng jī pāi wán le zhěng bù diàn yǐng.
    The director finished shooting the entire film with a movie camera.
  • 摄影机。
    Zhè tái shè yǐng jī de jià gé hěn guì.
    This video camera is very expensive.
  • 摄影机。
    Tā bǎ shè yǐng jī jià zài sān jiǎo jià shàng.
    He mounted the camera on a tripod.

Origin

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.

摄影photography
摄shècapture影yǐngimage
动宾Verb + object
机jīmachine

摄影机 is a 机 for 摄影, where 摄 captures 影, so it is a device for taking pictures.

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 攝; 摄 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
聶
聶niè攝shè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 攝 combines 扌 (hand) with 聶 as a sound part; the simplified 摄 is a later shorthand.

Open 摄 →

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
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
景
景jǐng影yǐng
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.

Open 影 →

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
木木mùtree; wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
几
几jǐ机jī
Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

Open 机 →
Appears in
Photography & Design

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