念

• 拼音: niàn
• 汉字拆解: 念 = 今 (now/present) + 心 (heart), meaning what is on the heart now — to recite or to miss

含义

To read aloud; to study; to miss someone. A versatile verb with multiple related meanings.

Has three main uses: (1) to read aloud (念课文 = read a text aloud), (2) to study or attend school (念大学 = attend university), and (3) to miss or think of someone (想念 = to miss). The 'read aloud' meaning is the most basic. The 'study' meaning is common in spoken Chinese, especially in southern dialects.

例句

1. 老师让我们大声念课文。
2. 他在北京念大学，学的是经济。
3. 离开家以后，我常常念着家里的亲人。

用法指南

语境: education, reading, emotions

语气: warm

正确说法

• 请你念一下这个句子。(Please read this sentence aloud.)
• 她在国外念书，已经三年没回家了。(She is studying abroad and hasn't come home for three years.)

错误说法

• 我念了这本书。(If you mean you read a book silently, use 看 or 读 — 念 specifically means reading aloud or studying at a school.)

起源与历史

念 = 今 (now) + 心 (heart). What is on the heart right now — to think about, recite, or keep in mind.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal