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戏剧性 (xì jù xìng) — dramatic nature; theatricality

Definition

A noun meaning the dramatic, story-like quality of a situation — twists, tension, surprise. Refers to how events unfold, not to theater itself (which is 戏剧).

noun
dramatic naturetheatricality

Examples

  • 戏剧性。
    Zhè jiàn shì hěn yǒu xì jù xìng.
    This matter is very dramatic.
  • 戏剧性。
    Diàn yǐng de qíng jié chōng mǎn le xì jù xìng.
    The plot of the movie is full of dramatic twists.
  • 戏剧性。
    Tā de jīng lì chōng mǎn le xì jù xìng de zhuǎn zhé.
    His experience is full of dramatic turns.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

戏剧
戏xìdrama剧jùdrama
联合Coordinate
性xìngquality

戏剧 'drama' plus 性 'quality' gives theatricality.

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 戲; 戏 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
戈戈gēhalberd
Sound part声符shēngfú
䖒
䖒䖒戲xì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 戲, the shape combines 戈 (halberd) with 䖒, which gives the sound; the word originally meant an army's wing or flank. The simplified 戏 is a later shorthand, not the form described here.

Open 戏 →

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 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →
Appears in
Film & Theater

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