actor; performer
HSK level
演员 is written with 21 strokes (演: 14, 员: 7). The animation replays automatically.
演员 (yǎnyuán) is the general Chinese noun for a performer — an actor, actress, or anyone who performs on stage or screen.
It is gender-neutral, so unlike English 'actor' versus 'actress,' one word covers both; if you need to specify, you say 男演员 (male) or 女演员 (female). The word is broad: it covers film and TV actors, stage actors, opera performers, and even acrobats or dancers, since 演 means 'to perform' generally. It is neutral in register and used in everyday speech, news, and credits alike.
Note that 演员 refers to the person; the act of performing is 表演 (biǎoyǎn) and a film/TV star specifically is often called 明星 (míngxīng). A learner should not confuse 演员 (any performer) with 明星 (a famous celebrity) — every 明星 is a 演员, but most 演员 are not 明星.
Character by character
Memory hook: 演 = to perform + 员 = a person in a role → a 'performing person,' an actor.
演员 appears in 3 Fluentide podcast episodes at natural native speed — each with the full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
她是一位很有名的演员。
Tā shì yí wèi hěn yǒumíng de yǎnyuán.
She is a very famous actress.
neutral
我小时候的梦想是当演员。
Wǒ xiǎoshíhou de mèngxiǎng shì dāng yǎnyuán.
My childhood dream was to become an actor.
spoken
这部电影的演员表演得非常好。
Zhè bù diànyǐng de yǎnyuán biǎoyǎn de fēicháng hǎo.
The actors in this film performed extremely well.
neutral
剧组正在招募群众演员。
Jùzǔ zhèngzài zhāomù qúnzhòng yǎnyuán.
The film crew is recruiting extras.
written
明星 means a famous star or celebrity — it emphasizes fame, not the profession. Use 演员 for anyone who acts; use 明星 only when the person is well-known.
艺人 is a broader entertainment-industry term covering actors, singers, and hosts. Use 演员 when the person specifically acts; 艺人 for a general 'entertainer.'
Acquire it by listening
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