Chinese word

身影

Pronunciation

Pinyinshēn yǐng

Meaning

  • nounfigure

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)

More examples

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.

Core concept

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

Common phrases

  • 隐约的身影yǐn yuē de shēn yǐng

    indistinct figure

  • 远处的身影yuǎn chù de shēn yǐng

    distant figure

  • 消失的身影xiāo shī de shēn yǐng

    fading figure

Similar words

人影rén yǐng: The visible shape of a person in a distant or poorly lit place.
影子yǐng zi: A dark shape formed on a surface by a person or object blocking light.
轮廓lún kuò: The visible outer line that shows the shape of a person or object.

Definition in Chinese

表示人的轮廓或身形的名词，多指在距离、背光或暗处只能辨认出人体外形的情形。biǎo shì rén de lún kuò huò shēn xíng de míng cí duō zhǐ zài jù lí bèi guāng huò àn chù zhǐ néng biàn rèn chū rén tǐ wài xíng de qíng xíng

Word origin

身影 (shēnyǐng, "human outline") is formed from 身 (shēn, "body") + 影 (yǐng, "shadow or image"), so it names the visible shape of a person rather than a fully seen individual.

Usage tips

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

Other meanings

  • shadownoun

Word lists with this word