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电视剧 (diàn shì jù) — TV series, TV drama

Definition

电视剧 is a multi-episode TV series/drama you watch on screen — the show itself, not the box (电视). 话剧 is a live stage play performed in a theater.

noun
TV seriesTV drama
Measure word · 部

Examples

  • 电视剧。
    Zhè bù diàn shì jù hěn hǎo kàn.
    This TV series is very good.
  • 电视剧。
    Wǒ měi tiān wǎn shàng kàn diàn shì jù.
    I watch TV series every evening.
  • 电视剧。
    Nǐ tuī jiàn yí bù diàn shì jù gěi wǒ ba.
    Recommend a TV series to me.

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.

电视television
电diànelectricity视shìsight
偏正Modifier + head
剧jùdrama

电视 means television and 剧 means drama, so a television drama or series.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 視; 视 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
示
示shì視shì
Same sound today

The story is about the traditional form 視: it combines 見, meaning see, with 示, which gives the sound shì.

Open 视 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4Film & Theater5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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