潜台词 (qiántáicí): subtext

Measure Word

一层潜台词 céng

Meanings

1 subtext
2 unspoken meaning
3 what is left unsaid
4 underlying implication

Characters

潜

qián

hidden; submerged; latent

Examples

HSK 1

你听出她话里的潜台词了吗？

Nǐ tīngchū tā huà lǐ de qiántáicí le ma?

Did you pick up on the subtext in what she said?

HSK 3

他说的话有很深的潜台词。

Tā shuō de huà yǒu hěn shēn de qiántáicí.

What he said had very deep subtext.

HSK 3

这部电影的对话充满了潜台词。

Zhè bù diànyǐng de duìhuà chōngmǎn le qiántáicí.

The dialogue in this film is full of subtext.

Tips

memory

潜 means hidden/submerged, 台词 means stage lines/script - so 潜台词 is the hidden script, what lurks beneath the spoken words.

Stroke Order

潜 qián

台 tái

词 cí

Related Words

台词 táicí #3,068

dialogue (in a script) / lines (of a play or movie)

前台 qiántái HSK 7-9 #7,319

front desk; reception / foreground (computing)

潜水 qiánshuǐ HSK 7-9 #5,013

to dive / to go underwater / scuba diving / to lurk (online)

潜力 qiánlì HSK 6 #4,203

potential; latent capacity / untapped ability

潜在 qiánzài HSK 7-9 #5,713

potential / latent / hidden

潜艇 qiántǐng HSK 7-9 #7,298

submarine

潜入 qiánrù #7,542

to sneak into; to infiltrate / to slip into; to dive into

潜 qián #7,688

hidden; latent; potential / to dive; to submerge; to lurk

潜意识 qiányìshí #8,405

subconscious; the unconscious mind / subconsciously

潜逃 qiántáo #11,845

to abscond / to flee secretly / to escape (from justice)