画片 (huà piān) — a small reproduction of a painting; picture pos…

Definition

画片 (huà piān) is a small printed reproduction of a painting, often sold as a postcard or kept as a collectible print.

noun

a small reproduction of a paintingpicture postcard

Measure word · 张

画片。
Tā shōu cáng le hěn duō gǔ dài míng huà de huà piān.
He collects many miniature reproductions of ancient famous paintings.
画片。
Zhè zhāng huà piān shì tā zài běi jīng lǚ yóu shí mǎi de.
This picture postcard was bought when he traveled to Beijing.
画片。
Zhè xiē huà piān yìn shuā dé fēi cháng jīng měi.
These miniature reproductions are printed very beautifully.

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 means picture, and 片 means a flat piece; together they name a small picture card.

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.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.