Meaning of 扮演
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to play the role of
- to act
How to use 扮演
扮演 is usually followed by 角色 (juésè, role) or a named character, and it works both for real acting and for figurative roles in life or society. Example: 他在电影里扮演一个警察。(Tā zài diànyǐng lǐ bànyǎn yí ge jǐngchá.) He plays a police officer in the movie.
扮 (bàn) has the hand radical 扌, like a hand putting on a costume or makeup, and 演 (yǎn) means to perform. Dress up with your hands, then perform, and you are playing a role.
Common mistake: Learners often use 表演 (biǎoyǎn) when they mean 扮演. 表演 means to perform a show, while 扮演 means to take on a specific role, so say 扮演哈姆雷特, not 表演哈姆雷特. Also keep the fourth tone on 扮 (bàn), and do not confuse it with 份 (fèn), which has the person radical.
扮演 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
扮 bàn · to disguise oneself as · 7 strokes
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演 yǎn · to perform · 14 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 扮演.
| 表演 | biǎoyǎn | play; show |
| 演出 | yǎnchū | to act (in a play); to perform |
| 演员 | yǎnyuán | actor; actress; performer |
| 导演 | dǎoyǎn | to direct; director (film etc) |
| 演唱 | yǎnchàng | to sing (for an audience); vocal performance |
| 演唱会 | yǎnchànghuì | vocal recital or concert |
| 演讲 | yǎnjiǎng | to give a lecture; to make a speech |
| 打扮 | dǎban | to decorate; to dress |
| 演奏 | yǎnzòu | to perform on a musical instrument |
| 上演 | shàngyǎn | to screen (a movie); to stage (a play) |
| 主演 | zhǔyǎn | to play the leading role; to star; lead actor |
| 演戏 | yǎnxì | to put on a play; to perform |
Questions about 扮演
What does 扮演 mean?
扮演 (bànyǎn) means "to play the role of; to act" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 扮演?
扮演 is made of 2 characters: 扮 (7 strokes), 演 (14 strokes). That is 21 strokes in total.
Is 扮演 an HSK word?
Yes. 扮演 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can 扮演 be used outside of acting?
Yes. It is common in phrases like 扮演重要的角色 (bànyǎn zhòngyào de juésè), to play an important role, used for people, countries, or technology. This is very frequent in news and formal writing.
What is the difference between 扮演 and 打扮?
打扮 (dǎban) means to dress up or make yourself look nice, like before a party. 扮演 means to play a role. 她打扮得很漂亮 is about appearance, while 她扮演公主 is about acting as a princess.