正片 (zhèng piàn) — positive (photographic print); film copy; master copy; feature film

Definition

正片 has three distinct senses: in photography, the final positive print; in film production, the master copy or release print; and colloquially, a 'feature film' (as opposed to a short or trailer). The right translation depends entirely on context.

noun
positive (photographic print)film copymaster copyfeature film

Examples

  • 正片。
    Zhè zhāng zhào piàn de zhèng piàn fēi cháng qīng xī.
    The positive of this photo is very clear.
  • 正片。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng de yuán shǐ zhèng piàn bǎo cún zài dàng àn guǎn lǐ.
    The original film copy of this movie is kept in the archives.
  • 正片。
    Jīn wǎn yǐng yuàn bō fàng le yí bù xīn zhèng piàn.
    The cinema is showing a new feature film tonight.

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.

正zhèngmain
片piànfilm

正 means main or positive and 片 means film, giving a main film or positive copy.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
止止zhǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng正zhèng
Same sound today

正 pairs 止 with 丁; 止 marks the sense and 丁 gives the sound.

Open 正 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 片 →

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