室内剧 (shì nèi jù) — indoor drama; sitcom

Definition

A staged or filmed drama set indoors — Chinese usage often refers to a multi-episode TV show filmed on a small set with a recurring cast, similar to a Western sitcom.

noun
indoor dramasitcom
Measure word · 部

Examples

  • 室内剧。
    Zuì jìn hěn liú xíng kàn shì nèi jù.
    Recently it's very popular to watch indoor dramas.
  • 室内剧。
    Zhè bù shì nèi jù de jù qíng hěn yǒu yì si.
    The plot of this indoor drama is very interesting.
  • 室内剧。
    Tā zài yí bù shì nèi jù lǐ bàn yǎn zhǔ jué.
    She plays the lead role in an indoor drama.

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.

室内indoor
室shìroom内nèiinside
偏正Modifier + head
剧jùdrama

室内 (room inside) describes 剧 (drama), giving a drama performed indoors.

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
至
至zhì室shì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

室 puts 宀 (roof) over 至, the spot where someone stops, giving the meaning of a house or residence.

Open 室 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 入入rùto enter
  • 冂冂jiōnghouse

The shape shows 入 entering into 冂, a house, so it pictures bringing something indoors, giving the sense inside.

Open 内 →

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 劇; 剧 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刀刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
豦
豦jù劇jù
Same sound today

The traditional form 劇 pairs 豦, which gives the sound, with 刀, a knife; the simplified 剧 is a later shorthand.

Open 剧 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.