HSK 4 · Society

表演 biǎoyǎn “to perform” in Chinese

Said as biáoyǎn

Same in Traditional

What 表演 means

  1. to perform
  2. performance
  3. play
  4. show
  5. exhibition
More meanings from CC-CEDICT
  • to act

Measure word 场 chǎng · 一场表演 yì chǎng biǎoyǎn

How to say 表演

  • Pitch chart of the third tone: dips low then rises, 2 to 1 to 4 on the five-level scale表biǎo3rd tone, dipping
  • Pitch chart of the third tone: dips low then rises, 2 to 1 to 4 on the five-level scale演yǎn3rd tone, dipping

Said as biáoyǎn. When two third tones meet, the first one rises into a second tone. You still write it with two third tones. How tone changes work

表演 in a sentence

  1. 我对我今天的表演不满意。

    Wǒ duì wǒ jīntiān de biǎoyǎn bù mǎnyì.

    I’m not happy with my performance today.

    Sentence #1020164 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  2. 她表演得真好。

    Tā biǎoyǎn de zhēn hǎo.

    She performed really well.

    Sentence #9203451 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  3. 演员们一边唱，一边跳，表演得好极了。

    Yǎnyuánmen yìbiān chàng, yìbiān tiào, biǎoyǎn de hǎo jíle.

    Singing and dancing at the same time, the performers put on an excellent show.

    Sentence #395883 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

How 表演 is built

Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.

The character 表 (biǎo) with each of its parts in a different colour
表biǎoexterior surface
  • 毛fur · máo
  • 衣clothes · yī

Memory aidFur 毛 on the outside of clothes 衣: the outside, to show.

The character 演 (yǎn) with each of its parts in a different colour
演yǎnto perform; to stage
  • 氵water form of 水 · shuǐMeaning part
  • 寅part of the characterSound part

How to write 表演

表 8 strokes · 演 14 strokes

Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

表演 (biǎoyǎn) stroke order chart: each stroke of the characters in the order you write them
Stroke order chart for 表演 (biǎoyǎn). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.

Words related to 表演

Words with 表

手表shǒubiǎo · watch表示biǎoshì · to express表扬biǎoyáng · to praise表格biǎogé · form表达biǎodá · to express表明biǎomíng · to make clear表现biǎoxiàn · to show代表dàibiǎo · representative表情biǎoqíng · (facial) expression发表fābiǎo · to issue

Words with 演

演出yǎnchū · to act (in a play)演员yǎnyuán · actor or actress演讲yǎnjiǎng · speech导演dǎoyǎn · director (of a film or play)演绎yǎnyì · to deduce演习yǎnxí · military exercise扮演bànyǎn · to play the role of演奏yǎnzòu · to perform (on an instrument)演变yǎnbiàn · to evolve

More words: School, Work & Culture

应聘yìngpìn · to apply for a job招聘zhāopìn · to invite applications for a job职业zhíyè · occupation作家zuòjiā · writer法律fǎlǜ · law功夫gōngfu · time and effort规定guīdìng · to stipulate国籍guójí · nationality

FAQs

表演 (biǎoyǎn) means “to perform” or “performance”. It is an HSK 4 word.
Say it biǎoyǎn: biǎo with a 3rd tone, then yǎn with a 3rd tone. In speech it sounds like biáoyǎn. When two third tones meet, the first one rises into a second tone. You still write it with two third tones. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
Yes. 表演 is written the same way in Simplified and Traditional characters.
Use 场 (chǎng). For example, one to perform is 一场表演 (yì chǎng biǎoyǎn).
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type biaoyan with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 表演 from the suggestions. Typing biaoyan into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
表演 is an HSK 4 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.

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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.