‘旁白’ (páng bái) literally means ‘side speech’ — ‘旁’ (páng) means ‘side’ or ‘beside’, and ‘白’ (bái) means ‘to speak’ or ‘speech’. Together, they refer to narration in film, television, theater, or documentaries: spoken commentary that is not delivered by characters on screen but rather by an off-screen voice. This narration often provides background information, explains thoughts or motivations, or guides the audience’s understanding of events.

Unlike dialogue (duìbái), which occurs between characters, 旁白 is typically neutral, objective, and authoritative — though it can also be subjective or even ironic depending on the artistic intent. It appears frequently in documentaries, animated films, historical dramas, and literary adaptations. In Chinese media, 旁白 is especially common when adapting classical texts or telling stories with complex timelines, where direct character interaction alone would leave gaps in context or exposition.