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新剧 (xīn jù) — modern drama (Western-style, as opposed to traditional Chinese opera)

Definition

新剧 (xīn jù) means 'modern drama' in the Western sense — spoken drama as distinct from traditional Chinese opera (戏曲). Used in literary and historical contexts, e.g. the new plays that appeared in early 20th-century China.

noun
modern drama (Western-style, as opposed to traditional Chinese opera)
Measure word · 部

Examples

  • 新剧。
    Zhè bù xīn jù jiǎng shù le yí gè gǎn rén de ài qíng gù shi.
    This modern drama tells a touching love story.
  • ，新剧。
    Èr shí shì jì chū, zhōng guó kāi shǐ chū xiàn xīn jù.
    At the beginning of the 20th century, modern drama began to appear in China.
  • 新剧。
    Tā shì yí wèi zhù míng de xīn jù dǎo yǎn hé biān jù.
    He is a famous modern drama director and screenwriter.

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.

新xīnnew
剧jùdrama

新 means new and 剧 means drama, so the word refers to modern Western-style drama.

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.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
斤斤jīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
辛
辛xīn新xīn
Same sound today

The shape originally paired 斤, for chopping wood, with 辛 for sound. It was borrowed for its sound to write 新, so the chopping-wood parts are unrelated to 'new'.

Open 新 →

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 劇; 剧 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刀刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
豦
豦jù劇jù
Same sound today

The traditional form 劇 pairs 豦, which gives the sound, with 刀, a knife; the simplified 剧 is a later shorthand.

Open 剧 →
Appears in
Film & Theater

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