纪录片

• Pinyin: jì lù piàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 纪 = 纟+ 己 (thread + self — to regulate/record); 录 = to record; 片 = half a split plank — film/sheet

Meaning

Documentary film; documentary. A non-fiction film or programme that records real events, people, or subjects.

A major genre in Chinese film and television. State-produced documentaries often carry political or educational weight. Independent documentary filmmaking has grown significantly since the 1990s.

Examples

1. 这部关于长江生态的纪录片在国际电影节上获得了大奖。 This documentary about the ecology of the Yangtze River won a top prize at an international film festival.
2. 他花了三年时间拍摄这部反映边疆生活的纪录片。 He spent three years filming this documentary that portrays life along the border regions.
3. 央视每年制作大量高质量的纪录片，内容涵盖历史、自然和人文等领域。 CCTV produces a large number of high-quality documentaries every year, covering fields such as history, nature, and the humanities.

Usage Guide

Context: media, film, education

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 流媒体平台的崛起为独立纪录片创作者提供了前所未有的发行渠道，使得原本难以进入院线的深度调查类纪录片得以触达更广泛的受众。(The rise of streaming platforms has provided independent documentary filmmakers with unprecedented distribution channels, allowing in-depth investigative documentaries that previously struggled to enter cinemas to reach a far wider audience.)
• 这部历时五年拍摄的自然纪录片以超高清影像记录了藏北高原濒危野生动物的生存现状，引发了社会各界对高原生态保护问题的广泛讨论。(This nature documentary, filmed over five years, uses ultra-high-definition imagery to record the survival situation of endangered wildlife on the northern Tibetan plateau, sparking wide-ranging discussion across society about the conservation of plateau ecosystems.)

Don't Say

• 纪录片 vs 记录片 — the standard written form is 纪录片 (with 纪); 记录片 is a common misspelling in informal contexts

Origin & History

纪录 (to record) + 片 (film/slice — cinema term)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal