語 meaning and stroke order
Words, language; saying, expression
How to write 語, stroke by stroke
14 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 語
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- dialect
- language
- speech
- (literary) to tell; to let (sb) know
How 語 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Words.
言 gives the meaning and 吾 hints at the sound.
Radical: 言 (words), shared by 155 characters on this site.
How to remember 語
On the left is 言 (yán), speech, which gives the meaning. On the right is 吾 (wú), an old word for I or me, which hints at the sound, so picture yourself speaking your own words.
語 is the traditional form of 语 and appears in words for languages and speech, such as 漢語 (Hànyǔ) Chinese and 外語 (wàiyǔ) foreign language. Example: 我在學英語。(Wǒ zài xué Yīngyǔ.) I am studying English.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 語 (yǔ) with 話 (huà), which also has 言 on the left. 語 is for a language or expression, while 話 is for spoken words or talk, so say 說中國話 or 說漢語, not 說漢話.
Common words with 語
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 外語 | wàiyǔ | foreign language | HSK 1 |
| 漢語 | Hànyǔ | Chinese language | HSK 1 |
| 英語 | Yīngyǔ | English (language) | HSK 2 |
| 語言 | yǔyán | language | HSK 2 |
| 詞語 | cíyǔ | word (general term including monosyllables through to short phrases); term (e.g. technical | HSK 2 |
| 語音 | yǔyīn | speech sounds; pronunciation | HSK 4 |
| 語法 | yǔfǎ | grammar; (computing) syntax | HSK 4 |
| 口語 | kǒuyǔ | colloquial speech; spoken language | HSK 4 |
| 言語 | yányǔ | words; speech | HSK 5 |
| 成語 | chéngyǔ | Chinese set expression, typically of 4 characters, often alluding to a story or historical | HSK 5 |
| 華語 | Huáyǔ | Chinese language | HSK 5 |
| 法語 | Fǎyǔ | French (language) | HSK 6 |
| 西班牙語 | Xībānyáyǔ | Spanish language | HSK 6 |
| 日語 | Rìyǔ | Japanese language | HSK 6 |
Questions about 語
How many strokes are in 語?
語 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 語 mean?
語 (yǔ) means words, language; saying, expression. A common word with it is 外语 (wàiyǔ), meaning "foreign language".
How do you pronounce 語?
語 is pronounced yǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 語?
The radical of 語 is 言, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 語 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 語?
語 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 语, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 語言 and 語?
語言 (yǔyán) is the general noun for language as a whole. 語 usually works inside compounds, like 英語 (Yīngyǔ) or 口語 (kǒuyǔ), and is rarely used alone in everyday speech.
When is 語 pronounced yù instead of yǔ?
The yù reading is literary and means to tell someone or let them know. You will mostly see it in classical texts, so in modern Chinese you can read it as yǔ almost every time.