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说
shuō
to speak
他说中文说得很流利。
He speaks Chinese very fluently.
formal
to speak; to say; to talk
她说话很小心。
She speaks very carefully.
请你说慢一点。
Please speak a bit slower.
他总是说实话。
He always tells the truth.
Used for verbal communication. Can be combined with objects (e.g., 说中文 'speak Chinese') or used alone (e.g., 会说 'can speak').
formal
to explain; to tell
老师说得很清楚。
The teacher explained very clearly.
请你说明一下。
Please explain it.
Often used in educational or instructional contexts.
formal
to persuade; to convince
他说服了父母同意他去留学。
He convinced his parents to agree to his studying abroad.
Commonly used in negotiation or persuasion scenarios.
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common Mistakes
Avoid confusing '说' (shuō, to speak) with '话' (huà, words/speech) or '语' (yǔ, language). '说' is the action of speaking, while '话' refers to the content of speech.
Gold Rule
Usage with Objects
When '说' is followed by a language or topic, the object is often a noun (e.g., 说中文 'speak Chinese', 说故事 'tell a story').
Word Origin
From Old Chinese 說 (shuō, 'to speak; to persuade'), related to 說文解字 (Shuōwén Jiězì), a Han Dynasty dictionary. The character combines 言 (yán, 'speech') and 兌 (duì, 'exchange'), implying verbal exchange.
Usage Notes
1. '说' can be used as a standalone verb or combined with objects (e.g., 说中文 'speak Chinese'). 2. In Mandarin, it is often used with the particle '了' (le) to indicate completed action (e.g., 他说了 'he spoke'). 3. The verb '说' can also imply 'to explain' or 'to persuade' depending on context.
Word Breakdown
讠
speech radical (indicates verbal action)
prefix兑
to exchange; to interpret
root汉英词典