演绎 yǎnyì to unfold
(of a story etc) to unfold; to play out; to develop (a technique etc); to enact; (logic) to deduce; to infer
How to remember 演绎: 演 perform + 绎 to unravel = to unfold.
Characters
How it is used
- Two senses: (1) to interpret/bring to life - 她完美演绎了这个角色 (tā wánměi yǎnyì le zhège juésè) she perfectly brought this role to life; (2) logic: deduction, opposite of 归纳 (guīnà, induction), 归纳法 (guīnàfǎ) the inductive method.
- The 'interpret/perform' sense is very common in arts/fashion writing: 演绎经典 to reinterpret a classic.
- Don't reduce it to plain 'perform' (表演); it implies interpreting or developing something into a fuller expression.