语 (yǔ) - Language & speech

语Tone 3

yǔ ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical: 讠

与喻

语 · yǔ

Language;

speech;

words;

to speak;

to tell;

a saying or proverb.

Languagespeechwords

Usage highlights

LanguageChinese languageEnglish languageGrammarVocabularyDialect

Synonyms

  • 言— speech; words; to speak
  • 话— speech; talk; words
  • 说— to speak; to say

Antonyms

  • 默— silent; tacit
  • 静— quiet; still

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I am learning Chinese language (汉语).
  • He speaks fluent English (英语).
  • This is a common saying (俗语).
  • We need to communicate (语言沟通).

Collocations

  • Language(语言)
  • Chinese language(汉语)
  • English language(英语)
  • Grammar(语法)
  • Vocabulary(词语)
  • Dialect(方言)

Idioms

  • Sweet words and honeyed phrases(甜言蜜语)
  • To talk incoherently(胡言乱语)
  • Whispers of lovers(呢喃细语)
  • To speak in riddles(谜语)
  • Unable to express in words(不可言喻)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 语 represents the fundamental human capacity for communication and cultural transmission.
  • In Confucian tradition, proper speech (言) was considered essential for moral cultivation and social harmony.
  • The character appears in many classical texts discussing rhetoric, poetry, and philosophical discourse.

FAQ