演员 (yǎn yuán) — actor or actress; performer

Definition

A performer who acts in plays, films, or TV — the everyday word. 艺人 is broader, covering singers, comedians, and other entertainers too.

noun

actor or actressperformer

Measure word · 个, 位, 名

演员。
Zhè wèi yǎn yuán de biǎo yǎn hěn hǎo.
This actor's performance is very good.
演员。
Wǒ xiǎng dāng yí gè yǎn yuán.
I want to become an actor or actress.
演员。
Nà ge nǚ yǎn yuán hěn piào liang.
That actress is very pretty.

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.

演 names performing and 员 names a person, together meaning performer.

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.

氵寅演

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐ

Sound part声符shēngfú

寅

寅yín演yǎn

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

演 pairs 氵 (water) with 寅, which gives the sound yín.

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 員; 员 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

〇

〇líng員yuán

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 員, 〇 supplies the sound and 鼎 supplies the meaning; the simplified 员 is a shortened form.

Appears in