紀錄片 / 纪录片
jìlùpiàn
The Mandarin word for documentary is 紀錄片 / 纪录片 (jìlùpiàn). Wiktionary also lists 記錄片 / 记录片 (jìlùpiàn).
Meaning: documentary film (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 紀錄片 / 纪录片 | jìlùpiàn |
| 記錄片 / 记录片 | jìlùpiàn |
The term refers to a documentary film.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan, documentary films are often referred to as 紀錄電影 (jìlù diànyǐng).
How do you pronounce it?
jìlùpiàn
Did you know?
- In Mandarin, the word for 'film' or 'movie' is 電影 (diànyǐng), which literally translates to 'electric shadow'.
- The character 片 (piàn) in 紀錄片 also refers to a 'slice' of food, such as a slice of ginger or cucumber.
- The term 紀錄 (jìlù) is used for both a cinematic record and a sports 'world record', making the phrase 紀錄片 literally a 'world-record film' to an untrained eye.
Examples in context
- 我喜欢看纪录片。I enjoy watching documentaries.
- 你看过这个纪实片吗？Have you seen this documentary?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “documentary” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
