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特写 (tè xiě) — feature article or story (in journalism); close-up shot (in film or photography)

Definition

特写 means 'close-up' in film/photography and also 'feature article' in journalism — a long, focused piece on one subject. In everyday language 报道 refers to general news reports, while 特写 zooms in on a single person, event, or detail.

noun
feature article or story (in journalism)close-up shot (in film or photography)
Measure word · 篇

Examples

  • 特写。
    Zhè piān tè xiě xiáng xì bào dào le zāi qū de qíng kuàng.
    This feature article gives a detailed report on the disaster area.
  • 特写。
    Dǎo yǎn yòng le yí gè liǎn bù tè xiě lái biǎo xiàn jué sè de tòng kǔ.
    The director used a close-up of the face to show the character's pain.
  • 特写。
    Tā wèi zhè jiā zá zhì xiě le yì piān rén wù tè xiě.
    She wrote a personality feature for this magazine.

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.

特tèspecial
写xiědepict

特 means special and 写 means depict, so it is a special depiction such as a close-up.

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
牛牛niúox
Sound part声符shēngfú
寺
寺sì特tè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape combines 牛 (ox) with 寺, which gives the pronunciation; it originally meant a large bull.

Open 特 →

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 寫; 写 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
舄
舄xì寫xiě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 寫 combines 宀 with 舄 for the sound; this note is about 寫, not the simplified 写.

Open 写 →
Appears in
Media & NewsFilm & Theater

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