TongTong
Sign in

表现 (biǎo xiàn) — (verb) to show, to display, to manifest (a quality, feeling, or ability); (verb) to perform, to behave (in a particular way)

Definition

表现 covers two senses: showing a quality/ability ("show, display") and how someone behaves ("perform, behave"). For putting on a stage performance, use 表演 instead; for a machine's performance, use 性能.

verb
to showto displayto manifest (a quality, feeling, or ability)to performto behave (in a particular way)

Examples

  • 表现。
    Tā zài gōng zuò zhōng biǎo xiàn dé hěn hǎo.
    He performs very well at work.
  • 表现。
    Zhè cì kǎo shì tā biǎo xiàn chū le zì jǐ de zhēn shí shuǐ píng.
    In this exam she showed her true level.
  • 表现。
    Zhè ge hái zi zài jiā lǐ biǎo xiàn dé bú cuò.
    This child behaves pretty well at home.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

表biǎoshow
现xiànappear

“表” and “现” join showing and appearing into a display.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape 表 pairs 衣 (garment) with 毛 (hair or feather), originally an outer garment.

Open 表 →

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 現; 现 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
見
見jiàn現
Same sound today

The traditional form 現 pairs 玉 (jade) with 見 as a sound part; the simplified 现 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 现 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4HSK 2.0 Level 51000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsAbstract Concepts2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 4 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.