相片

• Pinyin: xiàng piàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 相 = 木 (tree) + 目 (eye) — appearance, to look at; 片 = pictograph of a split thin piece — thin piece, photograph

Meaning

Photograph; photo. A printed or digital image captured by a camera.

A common term for a photograph, particularly a printed one. 相片 and 照片 are largely interchangeable in everyday speech, though 照片 is slightly more common in mainland Chinese usage. 相片 is frequently used in Cantonese-influenced Mandarin and traditional contexts. Often refers to portrait photos, family photos, or printed pictures.

Examples

1. 她把全家的相片摆在了书桌上。 She placed photos of the whole family on her desk.
2. 我找到了一张小时候的相片，感觉很亲切。 I found a photo of myself from childhood — it felt very familiar and warm.
3. 这张相片拍得非常清晰，每个人都很好看。 This photo is very clear and everyone looks great.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, family, photography

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我想冲洗这几张相片，把它们装裱起来。(I want to have these photos printed and framed.)
• 你有没有那次旅行的相片？(Do you have any photos from that trip?)

Don't Say

• 把相片专指数码照片。(Don't restrict 相片 to digital photos — it commonly refers to printed photographs; use 数码照片 if you specifically mean digital images.)

Origin & History

Compound of 相 (appearance/image) and 片 (thin slice/piece), literally 'an image on a thin piece.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal