谓 meaning and stroke order
To call, to say, to tell; name, title; meaning
How to write 谓, stroke by stroke
11 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 谓
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to speak
- to say
- to name
- to designate
- meaning
- sense
How 谓 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Speech.
讠 gives the meaning and 胃 hints at the sound.
Radical: 讠 (words), shared by 144 characters on this site.
How to remember 谓
谓 is pictophonetic: the speech radical 讠 on the left gives the meaning "to say" or "to call", and 胃 (wèi, stomach) on the right gives the sound. Picture words rising up from your stomach as you name something.
谓 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It mostly appears in set words like 所谓 (suǒwèi), 无所谓 (wúsuǒwèi) and 可谓 (kěwèi), and in formal or literary writing. Example: 我去不去都无所谓。(Wǒ qù bú qù dōu wúsuǒwèi.) It doesn't matter whether I go or not.
Common mistake: Learners often write 胃 (wèi, stomach) alone or swap in 喂 (wèi, hello), since all three share the same sound and tone. Remember that 谓 needs the speech radical 讠 because it is about saying or naming.
Common words with 谓
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 无所谓 | wúsuǒwèi | to be indifferent; not to matter | HSK 4 |
| 所谓 | suǒwèi | what is meant by the expression ...; what is referred to as ...; (derog.) so-called | HSK 7-9 |
| 可谓 | kěwèi | it could even be said | HSK 7-9 |
| 无谓 | wúwèi | pointless; meaningless | |
| 意谓 | yìwèi | to mean; meaning | |
| 何谓 | héwèi | (literary) what is?; what is the meaning of? | |
| 不知所谓 | bùzhīsuǒwèi | nonsense; nonsensical |
谓 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 谓
How many strokes are in 谓?
谓 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 谓 mean?
谓 (wèi) means to call, to say, to tell; name, title; meaning. A common word with it is 无所谓 (wúsuǒwèi), meaning "to be indifferent; not to matter".
How do you pronounce 谓?
谓 is pronounced wèi, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 谓?
The radical of 谓 is 讠, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 谓 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 谓?
The traditional form of 谓 is 謂. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 谓 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 谓 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 谓 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 所谓 and 无所谓?
所谓 (suǒwèi) means "what is called" or, with a sarcastic tone, "so-called". 无所谓 (wúsuǒwèi) means "it doesn't matter" or "I don't care", and is very common in everyday speech.
Can I use 谓 by itself to mean "to say"?
In modern spoken Chinese, no. Use 说 (shuō) or 叫 (jiào) instead. Single 谓 appears mainly in classical or very formal written Chinese, such as 何谓 (héwèi) "what is meant by".