幕

• Pinyin: mù
• Hanzi breakdown: 幕 = 莫(evening/hidden, phonetic component) + 巾(cloth) — a cloth screen or curtain used to conceal or divide

Meaning

A curtain; a screen used in theatre; an act or scene in a performance; by extension, a stage or episode in events.

In theatre, 幕 divides a performance into acts (第一幕, 第二幕). Figuratively used to describe phases of historical events or dramatic life episodes. Also used in compounds such as 帷幕 (curtain/veil) and 幕布 (stage curtain).

Examples

1. 随着大幕缓缓落下，观众席上爆发出经久不息的热烈掌声。 As the curtain slowly fell, the audience erupted into long, enthusiastic applause.
2. 这场历史剧共分三幕，每一幕都再现了那个动荡年代中真实发生的重大事件。 This historical drama is divided into three acts, and each one recreates major events that truly happened during that turbulent era.
3. 谈判双方终于达成协议，历史翻开了崭新的一幕，为这场持续数月的外交僵局画上了完满的句号。 The two sides finally reached an agreement; history turned a new page, bringing a satisfying close to a months-long diplomatic stalemate.

Usage Guide

Context: performing arts, literature, history, figurative use

Tone: neutral/literary

Do Say

• 开幕式在庄严的国歌声中正式拉开序幕，标志着这届国际博览会的盛大开始。(The opening ceremony officially raised the curtain to the solemn strains of the national anthem, marking the grand commencement of this international exposition.)
• 历史的新一幕已经开启，我们每个人都是这个时代变革的亲历者与见证者。(A new act of history has begun; each of us is both a participant in and a witness to the transformations of this era.)

Don't Say

• 把'幕'单独用来指窗帘或普通布帘 (幕 specifically refers to stage curtains or theatrical/formal screens; use 窗帘 for window curtains and 帘子 for everyday hanging curtains)

Origin & History

Originally depicted a cloth canopy or curtain suspended overhead. The character combines 莫 (evening/obscured, phonetic) with 巾 (cloth) — a cloth that obscures or screens.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal