Chinese word

情节

Pronunciation

Pinyinqíng jié

Meaning

  • nounplot

Example

这本小说的情节很复杂。zhè běn xiǎo shuō de qíng jié hěn fù zá

The plot of this novel is very complex.

Illustration for 情节 (plot)

More examples

这部电影的情节发展很快，让人感到紧张。zhè bù diàn yǐng de qíng jié fā zhǎn hěn kuài ràng rén gǎn dào jǐn zhāng

The plot of this movie develops quickly, making viewers feel tense.

Core concept

A chain of linked events and conflicts that carries a story from one turning point to the next.

Common phrases

  • 情节发展qíng jié fā zhǎn

    plot development

  • 情节紧凑qíng jié jǐn còu

    tightly constructed plot

Similar words

剧情jù qíng: The storyline and unfolding events of a film or television drama.
故事gù shì: The overall content of a tale about people or events.

Definition in Chinese

作品或事件中，按时间或因果排列的各个事件和冲突的安排和发展，构成故事的脉络。zuò pǐn huò shì jiàn zhōng àn shí jiān huò yīn guǒ pái liè de gè gè shì jiàn hé chōng tū de ān pái hé fā zhǎn gòu chéng gù shì de mài luò

Word origin

情 (qíng, "circumstances") + 节 (jié, "section") presents a story as circumstances arranged in connected sections, giving the word its sense of narrative structure.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, this noun fits novels, films, and television dramas, while a simple report about a real event usually calls for a more general word instead.

Other meanings

  • synopsisnoun

Word lists with this word