Meaning of 英语
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- English (language)
How to use 英语
英语 is the everyday word for the English language, used for speaking, studying, and school subjects. It often follows verbs like 说 (shuō), 学 (xué), or 会 (huì). Example: 我会说一点儿英语。(Wǒ huì shuō yìdiǎnr Yīngyǔ.) I can speak a little English.
英 (yīng) is short for 英国 (Yīngguó), England or Britain, and 语 (yǔ) means language. So 英语 is literally "the language of England," built the same way as 汉语 (Hànyǔ), the language of the Han people.
Common mistake: Learners often say 英国语 for English, but the correct word is simply 英语. Also keep both tones right: Yīngyǔ is first tone then third tone, not Yíngyǔ.
英语 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
英 yīng · petal · 8 strokes
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- 2
- 3
- 4
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语 yǔ · words · 9 strokes
- 1
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Related words
Words that share a character with 英语.
| 外语 | wàiyǔ | foreign language |
| 汉语 | Hànyǔ | Chinese language |
| 语言 | yǔyán | language |
| 英文 | Yīngwén | English (language) |
| 词语 | cíyǔ | word (general term including monosyllables through to short phrases); term (e.g. technical |
| 英勇 | yīngyǒng | heroic; gallant |
| 语音 | yǔyīn | speech sounds; pronunciation |
| 语法 | yǔfǎ | grammar; (computing) syntax |
| 口语 | kǒuyǔ | colloquial speech; spoken language |
| 言语 | yányǔ | words; speech |
| 成语 | chéngyǔ | Chinese set expression, typically of 4 characters, often alluding to a story or historical |
| 华语 | Huáyǔ | Chinese language |
Questions about 英语
What does 英语 mean?
英语 (Yīngyǔ) means "English (language)" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 英语?
英语 is made of 2 characters: 英 (8 strokes), 语 (9 strokes). That is 17 strokes in total.
Is 英语 an HSK word?
Yes. 英语 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 英语 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 英语 is written 英語.
What is the difference between 英语 and 英文?
Both mean English. 英语 leans toward the spoken language and English as a school subject, while 英文 leans toward written English, such as an English name or English text. In daily speech they often overlap.
How do I name other languages in Chinese?
Many follow the same pattern: country short name plus 语. For example 法语 (Fǎyǔ) French, 日语 (Rìyǔ) Japanese, and 德语 (Déyǔ) German. Chinese itself is 汉语 (Hànyǔ) or 中文 (Zhōngwén).