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电影院 (diàn yǐng yuàn) — cinema, movie theater

Definition

电影院 is the place where you watch a movie. Use 电影 for the movie itself, and 门票 for the ticket you buy to enter.

noun
cinemamovie theater
Measure word · 家, 座

Examples

  • 电影院。
    Wǒ xiǎng qù diàn yǐng yuàn kàn diàn yǐng.
    I want to go to the cinema to watch a movie.
  • 电影院。
    Zhè ge diàn yǐng yuàn hěn dà.
    This cinema is very big.
  • 电影院？
    Nǐ xǐ huan qù diàn yǐng yuàn ma?
    Do you like going to the cinema?

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.

电影movie
电diànelectric影yǐngimage
偏正Modifier + head
院yuàntheater

电影 movie modifies 院 theater, a place where films are shown.

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 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 →

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
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
完
完wán院yuàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

院 is built from 阝, written in full as 阜, and 完, which gives the sound.

Open 院 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 1Film & Theater

Browse more HSK 1 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.