讲

• Pinyin: jiǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 讲 = 讠(speech radical) + 井 (phonetic component); related to deliberate speech.

Meaning

To speak; to tell; to explain. The act of talking about something or narrating a story.

Used for telling stories (讲故事), explaining topics (讲课), and speaking in general. Slightly more formal or deliberate than 说. Common in educational and narrative contexts.

Examples

1. 老师在讲课。 The teacher is giving a lecture.
2. 妈妈每天晚上给我讲故事。 Mom tells me a story every night.
3. 请你讲慢一点。 Please speak a bit more slowly.

Usage Guide

Context: education, storytelling, everyday

Tone: explanatory

Do Say

• 你能给我讲讲吗？(Can you tell me about it?)
• 他讲得很清楚。(He explained it very clearly.)

Don't Say

• 不要把讲和说完全等同 (Don't treat 讲 and 说 as identical — 讲 implies more structured or deliberate speech like lectures and stories, while 说 is more casual)

Origin & History

Composed of 讠(speech radical) and 井 (well, phonetic component). Originally meant to discuss or confer, later broadened to mean speak or tell.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal