演技

• Pinyin: yǎn jì
• Hanzi breakdown: 演 = 氵(water) + 寅 (extend/develop — unfolding a performance); 技 = 扌(hand) + 支 (branch/prop — the branching manual skill of a craft or technique)

Meaning

Acting skills; performing ability; the craft and technique of an actor or performer.

Refers to the technical and artistic quality of a performance: 演技精湛 (superb acting skills), 演技浮夸 (over-the-top acting), 演技派 (acting-focused/performance-oriented, as opposed to idol-type celebrities). Central to film criticism, drama education, and entertainment commentary.

Examples

1. 这位老戏骨凭借数十年的舞台历练，将一个复杂矛盾的历史人物演绎得入木三分，令观众无不为其精湛的演技所折服。 With decades of stage experience, this veteran actor brought a complex, conflicted historical figure to life with remarkable depth, leaving audiences in awe of his superb acting.
2. 评委会在颁奖词中特别强调，此次最佳女演员奖授予的标准是综合演技水平，而非商业号召力或社会知名度。 In its citation, the jury emphasized that the Best Actress award was based on overall acting ability, not commercial drawing power or social fame.
3. 他在这部影片中以近乎零技巧的极简表演风格呈现了角色的内心世界，反而比高度技巧化的表演更具震撼力和感染力。 In this film, he used an almost skill-free, minimalist style to present the character’s inner world, and it proved even more powerful and moving than highly technical acting.

Usage Guide

Context: film, theatre, entertainment, criticism

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 真正令人信服的演技来自于演员对人性的深刻理解和对生活细节的敏锐观察，而不仅仅是对台词和动作的机械重复与技巧性堆砌。(Truly convincing acting comes from an actor's deep understanding of human nature and keen observation of the details of life, not merely from mechanical repetition of lines and movements or a technical accumulation of effects.)
• 近年来，观众对演技的要求明显提高，流量明星若缺乏过硬的表演实力，在市场上将越来越难以维持长期的职业生命力。(In recent years, audiences' demands for acting ability have risen markedly; celebrity stars with high social media traffic but lacking solid performance skills will find it increasingly difficult to sustain a long-term career in the market.)

Don't Say

• 他的演技很会 — 演技 is a noun; to evaluate it say 他的演技很好/很出色/很精湛; 会 requires a verb complement, so 他很会演戏 is correct but 演技很会 is ungrammatical

Origin & History

演 (to perform/act — 氵water + 寅 extend/develop, unfolding a performance) + 技 (skill/technique — 扌hand + 支 branch, the branching skills of a craft)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal