试映 (shì yìng) — to preview (a movie/film) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A formal/industry term for a private or press 'preview screening' of a film before its public release. Not used for casual viewing or for a general movie trailer (预告).

verb

to preview (a movie/film)

Examples

试映。
Zhè bù diàn yǐng míng tiān shì yìng.
This movie will be previewed tomorrow.
试映。
Wǒ men kàn le zhè bù diàn yǐng de shì yìng.
We watched the preview of this film.
试映。
Dǎo yǎn hé yǎn yuán dōu cān jiā le zuó tiān de shì yìng.
The director and actors all attended yesterday's preview.

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.

试 gives a trial sense and 映 a screening sense, so the word means a preview showing.

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 試; 试 is its simplified writing.

言式試

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

式

式shì試shì

Same sound today

The traditional form 試 puts 言 beside 式, and 式 gives the sound; the simplified 试 is the form of this character.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

日央映

Meaning part形符xíngfú

日日rìsun

Sound part声符shēngfú

央

央yāng映yìng

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

映 pairs 日, the sun, with 央 as a sound element.

Appears in

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