试演 (shì yǎn) — to preview (a play, film, etc.); to have a tria… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A compound verb meaning to hold a trial run of a performance (play, film, TV episode) before the official opening. Often appears as 试演 / 试映 in production contexts.

verb

to preview (a play, film, etc.)to have a trial performance

Examples

试演。
Zhè bù xīn xì xià zhōu shì yǎn.
This new play will have a trial performance next week.
试演。
Dǎo yǎn yāo qǐng le yì xiē guān zhòng lái shì yǎn.
The director invited some audience members to the preview.
试演，？
Wǒ men míng tiān wǎn shàng shì yǎn, nǐ lái kàn ma?
We are having a trial performance tomorrow evening; are you coming to watch?

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.

演yǎnperform

试 'trial' and 演 'perform' mean to perform in order to try out a show.

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.

氵寅演

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐ

Sound part声符shēngfú

寅

寅yín演yǎn

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

演 pairs 氵 (water) with 寅, which gives the sound yín.

Appears in

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