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活動写真 (かつどうしゃしん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

活かつ動どう写しゃ真しん

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Meanings

1

noun

moving picture; silent film

dated term

Dated term, especially used during the silent film era. In modern Japanese, 映画 (えいが) is the standard word for 'movie'.

明めい治じ時じ代だいには、活かつ動どう写しゃ真しんが人にん気きの娯ご楽らくだった。
In the Meiji era, moving pictures were a popular form of entertainment.

この博はく物ぶつ館かんでは、昔むかしの活かつ動どう写しゃ真しんを上じょう映えいしている。

This museum screens old silent films.

Kanji

活lively, resuscitation, being helped
動move, motion, change
写copy, be photographed, describe
真true, reality, Buddhist sect

Similar words

映えい画が
Modern standard word for 'movie' or 'film'. 活動写真 is an older term, now largely replaced by 映画.

Etymology

Compound of 活動 (かつどう, 'activity, motion') and 写真 (しゃしん, 'photograph'), literally 'motion photograph'. Coined in the early 20th century to describe the new technology of moving pictures.