演劇
Meaning in Englishplay (theatrical)
Animated kanji stroke order
Related sentences
Related sentences
There are no published items in this section yet.
Word context
What it means
What does 演劇 mean? It refers to live theatrical performance, the art of staging scripted drama before an audience, encompassing acting, direction, design, and production as a cohesive whole.
Main meanings
- Theatre as an art form, i.e., the field of staged drama
- A specific stage play or scripted dramatic work
- The practice of performance itself as a cultural activity
How to use it
Used in formal and academic discourse to denote live stage drama across traditional forms and modern theatre; appears in theatre criticism, program notes, curricula, and media coverage; generally not used for film or radio.
Variants and close terms
- 劇 — げき (geki): drama or theatre; often refers to a specific work or dramatic genre
- 舞台芸術 — ぶたいげいじゅつ: stage arts; a broader umbrella term for theatre and performance
- 演芸 — えんげい: entertainment or variety show; related but distinct
Composition
- 演: to perform, act; the act of presenting on stage
- 劇: drama, play, theatre; the content performed before an audience
Etymology
From 演 (perform) + 劇 (drama); the common on'yomi reading is en + geki, yielding えんげき (engeki).
Origin
Originated in classical Japan as a general term for staged drama; the concept developed with traditional forms like Noh and Kyogen and later Edo-period theatre, broadening to encompass all forms of theatre.
Word class
noun (名詞)