English–Chinese

“figure” in Chinese

Chinese

Also身材 (shēn cái)

Pronunciation

Pinyinshēn yǐng

Example

夜里只看到远处的身影，就没敢靠近。yè lǐ zhǐ kàn dào yuǎn chù de shēn yǐng jiù méi gǎn kào jìn

At night, we could only see a distant figure, so we did not dare go near.

Illustration for 身影 (figure)

How to say “figure” in Chinese

“Figure” in Chinese is 身影 (shēn yǐng).

The faint human form that remains visible when distance, darkness, or backlighting hides the person's details.

Full entry for 身影: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 身影

窗外出现了一个身影，我以为是邮递员。chuāng wài chū xiàn le yí gè shēn yǐng wǒ yǐ wéi shì yóu dì yuán

A figure appeared outside the window, and I thought it was a mail carrier.

Tips for using 身影

  • The word suits scene-setting in conversation and storytelling, especially when a person is noticed visually before the speaker knows who it is.

Other Chinese words for “figure”

她的身材很好。tā de shēn cái hěn hǎo

She has a good figure.

“figure” in other languages