演练

• Pinyin: yǎn liàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 演 = 氵(water) + 寅 (extend/develop — flowing and unfolding a process); 练 = 糸 (silk/thread) + 柬 (select/refine — refining raw silk into fine thread through repeated working, hence practice to refine skill)

Meaning

To drill; to rehearse through practice; to conduct a training exercise. A structured, realistic practice session designed to build proficiency and test procedures.

More formal and operationally serious than simple 练习 (practice). Used in military, emergency management, and professional training: 消防演练 (fire drill), 应急演练 (emergency response drill), 军事演练 (military exercise), 联合演练 (joint drill). Implies a realistic simulation with operational intent.

Examples

1. 消防支队每季度组织一次大规模应急演练，模拟不同类型的火灾场景，以确保队员在真实险情下能够快速、准确地作出反应。 Each quarter, the fire department organizes a large-scale emergency drill, simulating different types of fire scenarios to ensure firefighters can respond quickly and accurately in real danger.
2. 话剧首演前，导演要求全体演员进行了连续五天的全流程演练，其中包括两次不停戏的全装彩排，以确保演出质量万无一失。 Before the play’s premiere, the director required all actors to go through five consecutive days of full run-through rehearsals, including two full dress rehearsals without stopping, to ensure the performance would be flawless.
3. 两国海军本月在南海举行了为期一周的联合演练，重点检验了双方在海上搜救和补给保障方面的协同作战能力。 This month, the two countries’ navies held a weeklong joint drill in the South China Sea, focusing on testing their ability to coordinate maritime search-and-rescue and logistics support.

Usage Guide

Context: military, emergency management, theatre, professional training

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 此次核电站紧急停堆演练历时八小时，模拟了多种极端故障情景，全面检验了运营团队在高压环境下的应急响应程序和跨部门协调机制。(This nuclear power plant emergency shutdown drill lasted eight hours, simulating multiple extreme fault scenarios to comprehensively test the operations team's emergency response procedures under high-pressure conditions and the cross-departmental coordination mechanisms.)
• 在正式向董事会汇报前，管理团队进行了多轮内部演练，针对董事可能提出的各类刁钻问题逐一准备了充分的应对方案。(Before making the formal presentation to the board of directors, the management team conducted multiple rounds of internal rehearsals, preparing thorough responses to every type of challenging question the directors might raise.)

Don't Say

• 他们在操场上演练足球 — 演练 implies a realistic operational simulation or structured drill, not casual sports practice; say 他们在操场上练习足球 or 训练足球 for sports practice; 演练 is reserved for emergency drills, military exercises, or theatrical rehearsals with operational intent

Origin & History

演 (to perform/develop — 氵water + 寅 extend) + 练 (to train/drill — 糸 silk + 柬 select — selecting and refining, like twisting raw silk into fine thread)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal