演

yǎn
#714 most
frequent character
play, act, perform
verb

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

演 yǎn has 氵 water as the meaning part and 寅 yín giving the sound. It first meant 'long river'. From a long river came 'to develop, expand', then 'to practice', and 'to perform'.

Ask DeepSeek

Example Sentences

他在舞台上演戏。
tāzài wǔtái shàng yǎnxì 。
He is acting on stage.
我们要演一个小品。
wǒmen yào yǎn yígè xiǎopǐn 。
We will perform a skit.
她演奏的音乐非常动人。
tā yǎnzòu de yīnyuè fēicháng dòngrén 。
The music she performed is very moving.

Words with similar meanings

表演biǎoyǎn
perform
More commonly used for professional or theatrical performances.
表演biǎoyǎn
act
Used in a broader sense, including non-theatrical contexts.

Words Starting With 演

演出yǎn chū
"to act (in a play); to perform; to put on (a performance); performance; concert; show
演员yǎn yuán
"actor or actress; performer
演习yǎn xí
exercise; practice; to put on a play; to act
演变yǎn biàn
to develop; to evolve
演奏yǎn zòu
to play a musical instrument; to perform music

Your word lists

Sign in to add this word to your private lists.