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表现力 (biǎo xiàn lì) — expressive power; power of expression

Definition

Refers to the strength or vividness of expression — how powerfully speech, writing, acting, or art conveys meaning and feeling. Used as a quality you can be strong in (表现力强) or weak in, across language, performance, and visual art.

noun
expressive powerpower of expression

Examples

  • 表现力，。
    Zhè fú huà de biǎo xiàn lì fēi cháng qiáng, ràng rén gǎn dòng.
    This painting has very strong expressive power, moving people to emotion.
  • 表现力。
    Tā de yǔ yán biǎo xiàn lì zài yǎn jiǎng zhōng tǐ xiàn dé lín lí jìn zhì.
    Her linguistic expressiveness was fully displayed in the speech.
  • 表现力。
    Yǎn yuán de biǎo xiàn lì shì dǎ dòng guān zhòng de guān jiàn.
    The actor's expressive power is the key to moving the audience.

Origin

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.

表现express
表biǎoexpress现xiànshow
联合Coordinate
力lìpower

The 力 of 表现 is the power that makes expression effective.

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

力 is drawn as either an arm bending out from the side of the body or a wooden plough.

Open 力 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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