银幕 (yín mù) — movie screen | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

银幕 specifically means the physical movie-theater screen, and is almost always used for cinema rather than electronics. Contrast with 屏幕, which covers all kinds of screens (TV, phone, computer).

noun

movie screen

Measure word · 块

Examples

银幕。
Zhè bù diàn yǐng jí jiāng dēng shàng yín mù.
This movie is about to hit the screen.
银幕。
Diàn yǐng yuàn lǐ de yín mù fēi cháng dà.
The screen in the cinema is very large.
，银幕。
Wǒ men zuò zài qián pái, lí yín mù hěn jìn.
We sat in the front row, very close to the screen.

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.

幕mùcurtain

银 gives a metallic sheen to the hanging screen in 幕, naming a movie screen.

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 銀; 银 is its simplified writing.

金艮銀

Meaning part形符xíngfú

金金jīnmetal

Sound part声符shēngfú

艮

艮gèn銀yín

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

The traditional form 銀 has 金, meaning metal, and 艮, used for the sound; the simplified 银 is a shorthand.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

莫巾幕

Meaning part形符xíngfú

巾巾jīncloth

Sound part声符shēngfú

莫

莫mò幕mù

Same sound today

幕 combines 莫 above 巾 (cloth); 莫 gives the sound.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Film & Theater

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