画外音 (huà wài yīn) — offscreen voice (a character speaking from outs…

Definition

noun

offscreen voice (a character speaking from outside the visible scene)voice-over (narration over the action or images)

画外音。
Zhè ge diàn yǐng lǐ de huà wài yīn ràng gù shi gèng yǒu qù.
The offscreen voice in this movie makes the story more interesting.
画外音。
Dǎo yǎn yòng huà wài yīn lái jiě shì jué sè de xīn lǐ huó dòng.
The director used a voice-over to explain the character's inner thoughts.
画外音。
huà wài yīn De yùn yòng kě yǐ zēng qiáng jù qíng de gǎn rǎn lì.
The use of voice-over can enhance the emotional impact of the plot.

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.

画外outside the picture

偏正Modifier + head

画 (picture) + 外 (outside) + 音 (sound) means a voice heard outside the visible scene.

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 畫; 画 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

聿聿yùbrush

Sound part声符shēngfú

規

規guī畫huà

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 畫 pairs 聿, a brush, with 規 for its sound. The simplified 画 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the old parts.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

月

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

外 pairs 卜 with 月, a crescent moon; in its older form, the 卜 part had a horizontal bar extending outward, giving the sense of outside.

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

音 adds a short stroke that seals the mouth-like part, showing a covered or muffled sound rather than speech.

Appears in