fùyìn: 复印 - To Photocopy, To Duplicate

• Keywords: fuyin, 复印, photocopy in Chinese, make a copy in Chinese, how to say photocopy, Chinese for duplicate, fuyinji, 复印机, photocopy machine, print shop in China, fuyinjian, 复印件.
• Summary: Learn how to say “photocopy” in Chinese with the essential verb 复印 (fùyìn). This complete guide covers its meaning, character origins, and practical usage in everyday situations like offices, schools, and print shops in China. Discover how to ask for copies, specify details like double-sided printing, and understand the crucial difference between 复印 (fùyìn), 打印 (dǎyìn - to print), and 复制 (fùzhì - to copy files).

• Pinyin (with tone marks): fù yìn
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: To make a duplicate of a document, usually with a photocopier.
• In a Nutshell: 复印 (fùyìn) is the direct, practical word for “to photocopy” or “to make a copy” of a physical document. It's an everyday term you'll hear and use constantly in any office, university, or print shop environment in China. It specifically refers to the action of using a machine to create a paper copy from another piece of paper.

• 复 (fù): This character means “to repeat,” “again,” or “to restore.” It’s composed of elements that suggest a repeated action or going back over something.
• 印 (yìn): This character means “to print,” “a seal,” or “a stamp.” Its ancient form depicted a hand pressing down on a person, like making an impression with a seal.
• When combined, 复印 (fùyìn) literally means “to repeat a print” or “to make a repeated impression.” This perfectly captures the modern meaning of creating an exact copy of a document.

While 复印 (fùyìn) is a modern, functional term, its usage highlights a notable aspect of daily life in China: the prevalence of copy shops (复印店, fùyìn diàn). Unlike in many Western countries where copy services are often inside large office supply chains (like Staples or FedEx Office), China is filled with small, independent, and highly efficient copy/print shops. You can find them on almost every street corner near a university or business district. For students, these shops are central hubs for copying textbooks (a widespread, albeit legally grey, practice), printing essays, and binding reports. This reflects a different service economy—one that relies on specialized, accessible, and affordable small businesses for everyday tasks. Walking into a tiny 复印店 and asking the owner (老板, lǎobǎn) to copy your documents is a quintessential modern China experience.

复印 (fùyìn) is a neutral term used in both formal and informal contexts. Its usage is straightforward and practical.

• In the Office: You'll use it to ask colleagues for help or to state a task. For example, “Can you help me photocopy this report?” (你能帮我复印一下这份报告吗？)
• At a Copy Shop: This is where you will use it most frequently as a foreigner. You'll hand over your document and specify your needs. For example, “I want to copy this, 20 copies, double-sided.” (我想复印这个，20份，双面。)
• Bureaucracy and Paperwork: When dealing with any official application (visa, housing, etc.), you will inevitably be asked for a photocopy (复印件, fùyìnjiàn) of your passport, ID card, or other important documents.

• Example 1:
  • 你能帮我复印一下这份文件吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ néng bāng wǒ fùyìn yíxià zhè fèn wénjiàn ma?
  • English: Can you help me photocopy this document?
  • Analysis: A very common and polite way to ask a colleague for help. “一下 (yíxià)” softens the request, making it sound more casual.
• Example 2:
  • 老板，这个复印十份，谢谢。
  • Pinyin: Lǎobǎn, zhège fùyìn shí fèn, xièxie.
  • English: Boss, copy ten of these, thanks.
  • Analysis: This is a typical, direct phrase you would use in a copy shop. “老板 (lǎobǎn)” is a general term for any shop owner. “份 (fèn)” is the measure word for copies of documents.
• Example 3:
  • 对不起，我们的复印机坏了。
  • Pinyin: Duìbuqǐ, wǒmen de fùyìnjī huài le.
  • English: Sorry, our photocopier is broken.
  • Analysis: This introduces the related noun 复印机 (fùyìnjī), the copy machine itself.
• Example 4:
  • 申请签证需要护照的复印件。
  • Pinyin: Shēnqǐng qiānzhèng xūyào hùzhào de fùyìnjiàn.
  • English: Applying for a visa requires a photocopy of your passport.
  • Analysis: This shows the noun form, 复印件 (fùyìnjiàn), which means “a photocopy” (the physical object). This is an extremely useful word for any administrative task.
• Example 5:
  • 你要单面复印还是双面复印？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ yào dānmiàn fùyìn háishì shuāngmiàn fùyìn?
  • English: Do you want single-sided copies or double-sided copies?
  • Analysis: This demonstrates how to specify the type of copy, using “单面 (dānmiàn)” for single-sided and “双面 (shuāngmiàn)” for double-sided.
• Example 6:
  • 复印身份证的时候，正反面都要印在同一张纸上。
  • Pinyin: Fùyìn shēnfènzhèng de shíhou, zhèngfǎnmiàn dōu yào yìn zài tóng yī zhāng zhǐ shàng.
  • English: When photocopying an ID card, you need to copy the front and back onto the same piece of paper.
  • Analysis: A practical instruction you'll often encounter when dealing with official documents in China.
• Example 7:
  • 我需要把这本书的第三章复印一下。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ xūyào bǎ zhè běn shū de dì sān zhāng fùyìn yíxià.
  • English: I need to make a copy of chapter three of this book.
  • Analysis: Shows how to use the “把 (bǎ)” structure with 复印 to specify the object being copied.
• Example 8:
  • 彩色复印比黑白的贵很多。
  • Pinyin: Cǎisè fùyìn bǐ hēibái de guì hěn duō.
  • English: Color photocopying is much more expensive than black and white.
  • Analysis: Introduces vocabulary for color vs. black and white copies: “彩色 (cǎisè)” and “黑白 (hēibái)”.
• Example 9:
  • 这些文件不清楚，请重新复印一遍。
  • Pinyin: Zhèxiē wénjiàn bù qīngchu, qǐng chóngxīn fùyìn yíbiàn.
  • English: These documents aren't clear, please photocopy them again.
  • Analysis: “重新 (chóngxīn)” means “to do again,” a useful adverb to pair with 复印.
• Example 10:
  • 这只是一个复印件，原件在我办公室。
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhǐshì yí ge fùyìnjiàn, yuánjiàn zài wǒ bàngōngshì.
  • English: This is just a photocopy; the original document is in my office.
  • Analysis: Contrasts the copy (复印件) with the original (原件, yuánjiàn).

The biggest pitfall for learners is confusing 复印 with similar-sounding but distinct actions.

• 复印 (fùyìn) vs. 打印 (dǎyìn) - Photocopy vs. Print:
  • 复印 (fùyìn): Creates a physical copy from an existing physical document. (Paper → Paper)
  • 打印 (dǎyìn): Creates a physical copy from a digital file. (Computer file → Paper)
  • Incorrect: ~~我需要复印这个Word文件。~~ (I need to photocopy this Word file.)
  • Correct: 我需要打印这个Word文件。 (I need to print this Word file.)
• 复印 (fùyìn) vs. 复制 (fùzhì) - Photocopy vs. Copy/Duplicate:
  • 复印 (fùyìn): Used almost exclusively for photocopying paper documents.
  • 复制 (fùzhì): A much broader term for “to copy” or “to duplicate.” It's used for copy-pasting text/files on a computer, duplicating a key, or even cloning in biology.
  • Incorrect: ~~你能帮我复印这个文件到我的U盘里吗？~~ (Can you help me photocopy this file onto my USB drive?)
  • Correct: 你能帮我复制这个文件到我的U盘里吗？ (Can you help me copy this file onto my USB drive?)

• 打印 (dǎyìn) - To print (from a digital file). The counterpart to photocopying.
• 扫描 (sǎomiáo) - To scan (a physical document into a digital file).
• 复印机 (fùyìnjī) - The machine used for photocopying.
• 复印件 (fùyìnjiàn) - The noun for the physical document that has been copied.
• 复制 (fùzhì) - To copy/duplicate in a general sense, especially for digital files.
• 文件 (wénjiàn) - Document, file.
• 身份证 (shēnfènzhèng) - National ID card, a document that frequently needs to be photocopied.
• 护照 (hùzhào) - Passport, another document often requiring photocopies.
• 双面 (shuāngmiàn) - Double-sided.
• 原件 (yuánjiàn) - The original document (as opposed to the photocopy).