Chinese word

说话

Pronunciation

Pinyinshuō huà

Meaning

  • verbtalk

Example

请不要在图书馆里说话。qǐng bú yào zài tú shū guǎn lǐ shuō huà

Please don't talk in the library.

Illustration for 说话 (talk)

More examples

我和朋友在公园里说话。wǒ hé péng yǒu zài gōng yuán lǐ shuō huà

My friends and I are talking in the park.

Core concept

Spoken words form a bridge between one person's mind and another person's understanding.

Common phrases

  • 请不要说话qǐng bú yào shuō huà

    please don't talk

  • 别说话bié shuō huà

    don't talk

  • 和朋友说话hé péng yǒu shuō huà

    talk with friends

Similar words

讲jiǎng: Talk about a subject in order to explain its content or meaning.
讲话jiǎng huà: Give a formal talk or express ideas in a meeting or other official setting.
告诉gào sù: Let someone know a fact, detail, or piece of information.
聊天liáo tiān: Have a relaxed conversation about everyday matters.

Definition in Chinese

用语言把自己的想法或意思表达给别人。yòng yǔ yán bǎ zì jǐ de xiáng fǎ huò yì si biǎo dá gěi bié rén

Word origin

说话 (shuōhuà, "to speak") joins 说 (shuō, "to express") with 话 (huà, "words"), creating a compound for expressing meaning through words.

Usage tips

  • English often uses talk for a conversation, but this verb also fits a single thing someone says, which makes it common in rules about speaking.

Other meanings

  • sayverb
  • chatverb

Word lists with this word