音像

• Pinyin: yīn xiàng
• Hanzi breakdown: 音 = 立 (stand) + 日 (sun), meaning sound; 像 = 亻(person) + 象 (elephant), meaning image

Meaning

Audio-visual; audio and video. Refers to products or content that combine sound and images.

Used as an adjective or noun modifier for media products. Common phrases: 音像制品 (audio-visual products), 音像店 (audio-video store), 音像资料 (audio-visual materials), 音像出版 (audio-visual publishing). A somewhat dated term as physical media declines.

Examples

1. 这家音像店卖各种CD和DVD，还有黑胶唱片。 This audio-video store sells various CDs and DVDs, as well as vinyl records.
2. 图书馆的音像资料室收藏了大量历史纪录片。 The library's audio-visual materials room houses a large collection of historical documentaries.
3. 随着流媒体的普及，传统音像行业面临巨大挑战。 With the rise of streaming, the traditional audio-visual industry faces enormous challenges.

Usage Guide

Context: media, publishing, retail

Tone: informative

Do Say

• 我在找音像制品专卖店。(I'm looking for an audio-visual products store.)
• 这些音像资料很珍贵。(These audio-visual materials are precious.)

Don't Say

• 我看音像 — 音像是形容词/名词修饰语，不能单独做宾语，说'看视频'或'听音乐'

Origin & History

Compound of 音 (sound, audio) + 像 (image). A modern term created to describe combined audio-visual media, particularly physical formats like CDs and DVDs.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal