帷幕 (wéi mù) — heavy curtain; screen; tent; canopy

Definition

Refers literally to a heavy stage curtain or canopy, but is most often used figuratively as a marker for the opening or closing of an event or era (e.g., 拉开帷幕 'to raise the curtain on').

noun
heavy curtainscreententcanopy
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • ,帷幕。
    Yǎn chū kāi shǐ le, wéi mù huǎn huǎn lā kāi.
    The performance began, and the curtain slowly rose.
  • 帷幕。
    Zhěng gè huì chǎng bèi jù dà de bái sè wéi mù lǒng zhào zhe.
    The entire venue was covered by a huge white canopy.
  • 帷幕。
    Lì shǐ de xīn wéi mù yǐ jīng lā kāi.
    A new curtain of history has been drawn open.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

帷wéicurtain
幕mùscreen

帷 and 幕 both refer to hanging cloth coverings, so the word names a curtain, screen, or tent.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 帷 →

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
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.

Open 幕 →
Appears in

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