显影 (xiǎn yǐng) — (photography) to develop (film or photos)

Definition

A specialized photography term meaning to develop film or photos, used in darkroom processing. Unlike everyday words for photo printing, it refers to the chemical developing step itself.

verb
(photography) to develop (film or photos)

Examples

  • 显影。
    Tā zhèng zài àn fáng xiǎn yǐng.
    He is developing in the darkroom.
  • 。
    Wǒ yǐ jīng xiǎn le yí cì yǐng.
    I have developed (film) once.
  • 显影。
    Zhè xiē zhào piàn xū yào xiǎn yǐng.
    These photos need to be developed.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

显xiǎnreveal
影yǐngimage

显 means reveal and 影 means image, so 显影 makes a hidden picture appear.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 顯; 显 is its simplified writing.

  • 日日rìsun
  • 絲絲sīsilk
  • 頁頁yèperson's head

For 显, the traditional form 顯 is made of 日 (sun), 絲 (silk), and 頁 (person's head).

Open 显 →

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 →

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