Meaning of 言语
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- words
- speech
- (spoken) language
- to speak
- to tell
How to use 言语
言语 (yányǔ) is a fairly formal noun for spoken words or the way someone talks, often used with 粗鲁 (rude) or 温和 (gentle). Read with a neutral tone as yányu, it is a northern colloquial verb meaning "to say something, to speak up," as in 你走的时候言语一声 (Nǐ zǒu de shíhou yányu yì shēng) "Say something when you leave." Example: 他的言语很温和。(Tā de yányǔ hěn wēnhé.) His words are very gentle.
言 (yán) means speech and 语 (yǔ) means words or language, and 语 even contains 言 as its left part (讠). Two "speaking" characters together give you 言语 (yányǔ), the words people actually say.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 言语 (yányǔ) with 语言 (yǔyán). 语言 means a language system like Chinese or English. 言语 means the words someone speaks, so 我会说三种语言 is correct but 三种言语 is not.
言语 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.
言 yán · words · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
语 yǔ · words · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Related words
Words that share a character with 言语.
| 外语 | wàiyǔ | foreign language |
| 汉语 | Hànyǔ | Chinese language |
| 英语 | Yīngyǔ | English (language) |
| 语言 | yǔyán | language |
| 词语 | cíyǔ | word (general term including monosyllables through to short phrases); term (e.g. technical |
| 发言 | fāyán | to make a speech; statement |
| 语音 | yǔyīn | speech sounds; pronunciation |
| 语法 | yǔfǎ | grammar; (computing) syntax |
| 口语 | kǒuyǔ | colloquial speech; spoken language |
| 成语 | chéngyǔ | Chinese set expression, typically of 4 characters, often alluding to a story or historical |
| 华语 | Huáyǔ | Chinese language |
| 留言 | liúyán | to leave a message; to leave one's comments; message |
Questions about 言语
What does 言语 mean?
言语 (yányǔ) means "words; speech" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 言语?
言语 is made of 2 characters: 言 (7 strokes), 语 (9 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 言语 an HSK word?
Yes. 言语 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 言语 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 言语 is written 言語.
Can I use 言语 to mean a language like French or Japanese?
No. For named languages use 语言 (yǔyán) or words ending in 语, like 法语 (Fǎyǔ) or 日语 (Rìyǔ). 言语 is about speech and wording, not a language system.
What does 不言语 mean?
In colloquial northern Chinese, 不言语 (bù yányu) means "to stay silent, not say a word." For example, 他半天不言语 (Tā bàntiān bù yányu) means "He didn't say anything for a long time."