发言人

• Pinyin: fā yán rén
• Hanzi breakdown: 发 = emit; 言 = speech; 人 = person — person who makes statements

Meaning

Spokesperson; spokesman. An official representative who speaks on behalf of an organization, government, or group.

Common in political and corporate contexts: 外交部发言人 (Foreign Ministry spokesperson), 新闻发言人 (press spokesperson), 公司发言人 (company spokesperson). The 发言人 delivers official statements and answers questions from media or the public.

Examples

1. 外交部发言人在记者会上就此事发表了声明。 The Foreign Ministry spokesperson made a statement about this matter at the press conference.
2. 公司发言人表示目前还没有裁员的计划。 The company spokesperson said there are currently no plans for layoffs.
3. 他被任命为这次活动的官方发言人，负责对外沟通。 He was appointed as the official spokesperson for this event, responsible for external communication.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, media, business

Tone: official

Do Say

• 请问发言人，政府对这件事有什么回应？(May I ask the spokesperson, what is the government's response to this?)
• 我们需要指定一位发言人来回应媒体。(We need to designate a spokesperson to respond to the media.)

Don't Say

• 把普通代表或传话人称为发言人 (Don't call an ordinary representative or messenger a 发言人 — it implies official authority to speak on behalf of an organization)

Origin & History

Compound of 发言 (speak, make a statement) + 人 (person). Literally 'person who speaks.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal