Chinese word

片段

Pronunciation

Pinyinpiàn duàn

Meaning

  • nounscene

Example

电影里有很多感人的片段。diàn yǐng lǐ yǒu hěn duō gǎn rén de piàn duàn

There are many touching scenes in the movie.

Illustration for 片段 (scene)

More examples

我们只看到了采访的片段，没有完整内容。wǒ men zhǐ kàn dào le cái fǎng de piàn duàn méi yǒu wán zhěng nèi róng

We saw only part of the interview, not the whole thing.

Core concept

A brief, separately viewable piece lifted from a longer story, event, or memory.

Common phrases

  • 生活片段shēng huó piàn duàn

    life scenes

  • 录音片段lù yīn piàn duàn

    audio clip

  • 新闻片段xīn wén piàn duàn

    news excerpt

  • 关键片段guān jiàn piàn duàn

    key scene

Similar words

场景cháng jǐng: A story or film setting that shows where an event occurs and what surrounds it.
节选jié xuǎn: A chosen part of a longer piece of writing or recorded material.
片断piàn duàn: A short section of a long story or memory that feels disconnected from the whole.

Definition in Chinese

指在时间或情节上较短的一部分，通常用于描述某一瞬间的场面或记忆的断续，强调该段内容可单独呈现。zhǐ zài shí jiān huò qíng jié shàng jiào duǎn de yí bù fèn tōng cháng yòng yú miáo shù mǒu yí shùn jiān de chǎng miàn huò jì yì de duàn xù qiáng diào gāi duàn nèi róng kě dān dú chéng xiàn

Word origin

The compound combines 片 (piàn, "piece") + 段 (duàn, "section") to name a short, bounded part that can be separated from a larger story, recording, or memory.

Usage tips

  • It applies to remembered experience as well as recorded media, so it is not limited to something currently visible on a screen.

Other meanings

  • fragmentnoun
  • excerptnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 片段化piàn duàn huàfragmentverb
  • 片段性piàn duàn xìngfragmentary naturenoun

Word lists with this word