表现 (biǎoxiàn) — to show; performance
HSK 5 | verb / noun | to express; to perform; performance; behavior
表现 (biǎoxiàn)
表现 is a versatile and high-frequency word meaning to show or express something (especially a quality or emotion), and as a noun, it refers to one's performance, behavior, or the way something is manifested.
Meanings
- [verb] to show; to express; to manifest; to perform
- [noun] performance; behavior; the way something is expressed or shown
Example Sentences
他在课堂上的表现一直很出色。 Tā zài kètáng shàng de biǎoxiàn yīzhí hěn chūsè. His performance in class has always been excellent.
这部作品很好地表现了人与自然的和谐关系。 Zhè bù zuòpǐn hěn hǎo de biǎoxiànle rén yǔ zìrán de héxié guānxi. This work effectively expresses the harmonious relationship between humans and nature.
她在面试中的表现给招聘方留下了深刻印象。 Tā zài miànshì zhōng de biǎoxiàn gěi zhāopìn fāng liúxiàle shēnkè yìnxiàng. Her performance in the interview left a deep impression on the recruitment team.
市场的疲软表现令投资者感到担忧。 Shìchǎng de písǎo biǎoxiàn lìng tóuzī zhě gǎndào dānyōu. The sluggish performance of the market made investors worried.
优秀的演员能将人物内心的矛盾淋漓尽致地表现出来。 Yōuxiù de yǎnyuán néng jiāng rénwù nèixīn de máodùn línlíjìnzhì de biǎoxiàn chūlái. Excellent actors can express the inner contradictions of a character to the fullest.
这首音乐表现了作曲家对战争的深刻反思。 Zhè shǒu yīnyuè biǎoxiànle zuòqǔjiā duì zhànzhēng de shēnkè fǎnsī. This piece of music expresses the composer's deep reflection on war.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 出色表现 (chūsè biǎoxiàn) | outstanding performance |
| 表现出来 (biǎoxiàn chūlái) | to show; to bring out |
| 综合表现 (zōnghé biǎoxiàn) | overall performance |
| 表现手法 (biǎoxiàn shǒufǎ) | expressive technique |
| 充分表现 (chōngfèn biǎoxiàn) | fully express |
| 表现形式 (biǎoxiàn xíngshì) | form of expression |
Usage Notes
表现 is one of the most flexible words in formal Chinese. As a verb, it is used to describe how a quality, emotion, or idea is expressed through behavior, art, or performance. As a noun, it describes the quality of someone's behavior or performance in a given context (his academic performance, her interview performance).
Compared with 体现 (tǐxiàn, to embody), 表现 is broader and can describe both abstract expression and concrete behavior. 表现手法 (expressive technique) is a key term in literary and artistic criticism. At B2, learners should be confident using 表现 in both its verb and noun roles.
Memory Hook
BIAO (表, surface/outside) + XIAN (现, to appear) = something appearing on the surface for others to see.