演示

• Pinyin: yǎn shì
• Hanzi breakdown: 演 = 氵(water) + 寅 (extend/develop — flowing and unfolding); 示 = 二 (two horizontal strokes representing heaven) + 小 (three droplets — heaven sending down signs to be read)

Meaning

To demonstrate; to present; to give a demonstration. To show how something works or to illustrate a concept through a live or visual presentation.

Standard in academic, technical, and business contexts: 演示文稿 (presentation — also abbreviated as PPT), 产品演示 (product demo), 现场演示 (live demonstration), 演示实验 (demonstration experiment). Implies a purposeful, structured showing for an audience, distinguishing it from casual 展示 (to display/show).

Examples

1. 工程师在发布会上对新一代机器人的核心功能进行了近二十分钟的现场演示，引发了现场观众和网络直播间的广泛关注与热烈讨论。 At the product launch, the engineer gave a live demonstration of the new generation robot’s core functions for nearly twenty minutes, drawing widespread attention and heated discussion both in the audience and in the livestream.
2. 教授利用计算机模拟软件在课堂上演示了分子键合的动态过程，使抽象的化学原理变得直观易懂，大幅提升了学生的学习兴趣。 Using computer simulation software, the professor demonstrated the dynamic process of molecular bonding in class, making abstract chemical principles clear and easy to grasp and greatly boosting students’ interest.
3. 应聘者在技术面试环节被要求现场演示一套完整的数据处理方案，以便面试官直接评估其实际编程能力和解决问题的逻辑思维。 During the technical interview, the candidate was asked to demonstrate a complete data-processing solution on the spot so the interviewers could directly assess practical programming ability and problem-solving logic.

Usage Guide

Context: technology, education, business, science

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 闭幕环节，团队将完整演示三年开发的大语言模型，展示其多语种理解和跨域推理能力。(At the closing session, the team will fully demonstrate the large language model developed over three years, showing its multilingual understanding and cross-domain reasoning ability.)
• 优秀的产品经理不仅要能够撰写清晰的需求文档，还必须具备向不同背景的利益相关方进行高效演示的能力，以确保各方对产品愿景达成共识。(An excellent product manager must not only be able to write clear requirement documents but also possess the ability to give effective demonstrations to stakeholders from different backgrounds, ensuring all parties reach a shared understanding of the product vision.)

Don't Say

• 他演示了他的新手表 — 演示 implies a functional or instructional demonstration of how something works; for simply showing off a possession say 他展示了他的新手表; 演示 requires a purposeful element of instruction or functional illustration

Origin & History

演 (to perform/develop/show) + 示 (to show/indicate — 示 the ritual display altar, indicating or manifesting something)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal