导演
dǎoyǎn · HSK 3
director
🎬 导 = guide/lead + 演 = perform; the one who guides the performance
导 (dǎo) means to lead or guide; 演 (yǎn) means to perform or act. A 导演 is literally the person who guides the acting — a film or stage director.
演 — water 氵 + 寅 (yín, phonetic)
演 is a semantic-phonetic compound: the water radical 氵 gives the meaning, originally referring to water flowing far and spreading out, while 寅 supplies the sound. From 'water extending' it broadened to 'develop, elaborate, perform,' as in unfolding a story or acting out a play.