Chinese word

演说

Pronunciation

Pinyinyǎn shuō

Meaning

  • verbgive a speech

Example

他在大会上演说了十分钟。tā zài dà huì shàng yǎn shuō le shí fēn zhōng

He gave a ten-minute speech at the conference.

Illustration for 演说 (give a speech)

More examples

律师在法庭上简短地演说，主要强调证据的问题。lǜ shī zài fǎ tíng shàng jián duǎn dì yǎn shuō zhǔ yào qiáng diào zhèng jù de wèn tí

The lawyer gave a brief speech in court, mainly emphasizing the issue of evidence.

Core concept

A planned public statement that lays out ideas before a group and aims to move listeners.

Common phrases

  • 发表演说fā biáo yǎn shuō

    give a speech

  • 在大会上演说zài dà huì shàng yǎn shuō

    give a speech at a conference

  • 公开演说gōng kāi yǎn shuō

    give a public speech

Similar words

演讲yán jiǎng: To deliver prepared content before an audience for explanation or introduction.
发言fā yán: To give a short opinion or comment during a meeting or gathering.
讲话jiǎng huà: To address another person or group through spoken words.
报告bào gào: To communicate a summary of facts or work results to relevant people.

Definition in Chinese

向多人进行有目的的口头陈述以说明立场、传播观点或说服听众的动词，语域偏正式。xiàng duō rén jìn xíng yǒu mù dì de kǒu tóu chén shù yǐ shuō míng lì chǎng chuán bō guān diǎn huò shuō fú tīng zhòng de dòng cí yǔ yù piān zhèng shì

Word origin

演 (yǎn, "to present or develop") + 说 (shuō, "to speak or explain") frames speech as ideas being presented outwardly to an audience.

Usage tips

  • Its formal tone fits conferences, ceremonies, and public reports better than relaxed chats with one or two friends.

Other meanings

  • speechnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 演说家yǎn shuō jiāpublic speakernoun
  • 演说稿yǎn shuō gǎospeech draftnoun
  • 演说者yǎn shuō zhěspeakernoun

Word lists with this word