说

• Pinyin: shuō
• Hanzi breakdown: 说 = 讠(speech radical) + 兑 (exchange, phonetic component)

Meaning

To say; to speak; to tell. One of the most fundamental verbs in Chinese.

Extremely versatile — used for quoting speech, reporting information, expressing opinions, and more. Appears in many common compounds such as 说话 (to talk), 说明 (to explain), and 听说 (to hear that). Can take both direct and indirect speech.

Examples

1. 老师说明天不上课。 The teacher said there is no class tomorrow.
2. 你说什么？ What did you say?
3. 他说他很忙。 He said he is very busy.

Usage Guide

Context: communication, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请你再说一次。(Please say it again.)
• 她说得很对。(What she said is correct.)

Don't Say

• 他说了我一个故事。(Wrong structure — say 他给我讲了一个故事; use 讲 for telling stories, and add the indirect object with 给)

Origin & History

The character combines 讠(speech radical, simplified from 言) and 兑 (to exchange), suggesting the exchange of words.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal