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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "speak" in Chinese?
说话
shuō huà
In Chinese, "speak" is 说话 (shuō huà).
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Pronunciation
It's spoken "shuō huà" (first tone, then fourth tone), where held flat and steady, almost like humming one note; then the next syllable is snapping downward fast.
Writing and usage
说话 is written using hanzi. It's a verb, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
她会说三种语言。
tā huì shuō sān zhǒng yǔ yán 。
She can speak three languages.
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How to remember 说话
Think of the scene from "She can speak three languages"; it pairs naturally with the sound "shuō huà".
Related words
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 说话
How do you pronounce 说话?
It's spoken "shuō huà" (first tone, then fourth tone), where held flat and steady, almost like humming one note; then the next syllable is snapping downward fast.
Is 说话 formal or casual?
说话 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 说话 used in Chinese?
说话 is used the same way as the equivalent English verb. For example: 她会说三种语言。 (She can speak three languages.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Speak" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
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