How to Say "Director" in Chinese

导演

dǎoyǎn

The Chinese word for director is 导演 (dǎoyǎn).

The term 导演 is used specifically for film, television or theater directors, rather than a corporate director or a director of a department.

Meaning: someone who directs (noun)

What does it mean word for word?

The word is composed of 导 (to guide/lead) and 演 (to perform/act).

In southern China, particularly in Guangdong and Hong Kong, 阿导 (Ā dǎo) is a casual way of saying director.

导演 can function as both a noun (director) and a verb (to direct/to direct a play).

dǎoyǎn

In the Chinese film industry, it is common to address a director as 导演 directly as a title of respect, similar to how 'Doctor' or 'Professor' is used in English.
The character 演 (yǎn) is also used in 演习 (yǎnxí), which means a military drill or exercise. This implies that a military maneuver is a form of 'performance'.
The term 导演 can be used to describe someone 'directing' a scheme or a plot in a non-artistic sense, such as a puppet master behind a political move.

谁是您最喜欢的导演？
Who is your favourite director?
This sentence is useful for asking about someone's favorite director using the word 导演.
Tatoeba #4817417 by CLARET, translation #4844607 by pig8322
他是个富有才能的年轻导演。
He's a talented young director.
This sentence is useful for describing a talented young director using the word 导演.
Tatoeba #6682954 by basilhan, translation #1386857 by Spamster
他是一位著名的电影导演。
He is a famous film director.
我们公司的人力资源主任很有经验。
Our company's HR director is very experienced.
明天我要见阿导商量一下电影的拍摄计划。
Tomorrow, I will meet with the director to discuss the film's shooting schedule.
请把这份报告交给项目组的组长。
Please hand this report to the director of the project team.
这位导演很有名。
zhè wèi dǎoyǎn hěn yǒumíng.
This director is very famous.
1 more sentence on Tatoeba

Two friends are talking about a movie they just watched.

佳怡 Jiayi

你觉得这部电影怎么样？
Nǐ juéde zhè bù diànyǐng zěnmeyàng?
What do you think of this movie?
浩然 Haoran

我觉得导演拍得很好。
Wǒ juéde dǎoyǎn pāi de hěn hǎo.
I think the director filmed it very well.
佳怡 Jiayi

确实，画面非常漂亮。
Quèshí, huàmiàn fēicháng piàoliang.
True, the visuals are beautiful.
浩然 Haoran

他真是个天才导演。
Tā zhēnshì gè tiāncái dǎoyǎn.
He is truly a genius director.

Sources

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏