放电影 (fàng diàn yǐng) — to show a movie, to screen a film

Definition

放电影 means to screen or show a film (the cinema's action, not watching). The verb-object split 放…电影 can insert 一场 or other measure words between them.

to show a movieto screen a film

Examples

  • 放电影。
    Jīn tiān wǎn shàng diàn yǐng yuàn yào fàng diàn yǐng.
    The cinema will show a movie tonight.
  • 。
    Zuó tiān jù chǎng fàng le yì chǎng diàn yǐng.
    The theater screened one movie yesterday.
  • 。
    Tā men diàn yǐng yuàn měi tiān fàng sān chǎng diàn yǐng.
    Their cinema shows three movies every day.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

放fàngshow
电影movie
电diànelectric影yǐngimage
偏正Modifier + head

放 means show, and 电影 means movie; together they express showing a movie on a 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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攵Written in full as攴pūhand, action
Sound part声符shēngfú
方
方fāng放fàng
Same sound today

放 uses 方 for its sound and 攵, a hand/action part, to mark an action of release.

Open 放 →

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 電; 电 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn電diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 電, 雨 (rain) sits with 申, read shēn and meaning lightning.

Open 电 →

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
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
景
景jǐng影yǐng
Same sound today

影 pairs 景, which gives the sound and also carries the idea of image, with 彡, the part that points to shadow.

Open 影 →

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