Chinese word

描写

Pronunciation

Pinyinmiáo xiě

Meaning

  • noundescription

Example

这本小说的描写很细致。zhè běn xiǎo shuō de miáo xiě hěn xì zhì

The description in this novel is very detailed.

Illustration for 描写 (description)

More examples

他善于人物描写，能把性格写得很立体。tā shàn yú rén wù miáo xiě néng bǎ xìng gé xiě de hěn lì tǐ

He excels at portraying characters and can depict their personalities in a very three-dimensional way.

Core concept

A detailed portrayal that makes an object's form, a scene's feeling, or a person's character appear before the mind.

Common phrases

  • 人物描写rén wù miáo xiě

    character description

  • 生动的描写shēng dòng de miáo xiě

    lively description

  • 细致的描写xì zhì de miáo xiě

    meticulous description

Similar words

描述miáo shù: An account that presents the main points and features of a thing or event in order.
描绘miáo huì: A vivid portrayal of a landscape, a person's appearance, or the feeling of a scene.
刻画kè huà: A clear portrayal that shows a person's personality and defining traits.
叙述xù shù: A telling of events or a story by following the order in which things happen.

Definition in Chinese

用语言、文字或图画把事物的形貌、情态、性格等细节具体表现出来的动作或其结果。yòng yǔ yán wén zì huò tú huà bǎ shì wù de xíng mào qíng tài xìng gé děng xì jié jù tí biǎo xiàn chū lái de dòng zuò huò qí jié guǒ

Word origin

描写 (miáoxiě, "description") joins the image of tracing a form in 描 (miáo, "draw") with the act of recording it in 写 (xiě, "write").

Usage tips

  • For conversational Chinese, this word can sound bookish, so it fits literary and artistic discussion better than brief everyday accounts.

Other meanings

  • describeverb
  • portrayverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word