用语 (yòng yǔ) — wording; phraseology; terminology; jargon | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

用语 means 'wording / terminology' — the specific words or phrases used in a context (formal 用语, legal 用语), not the act of speaking. Closely tied to 词汇, which covers a broader vocabulary set.

noun

wordingphraseologyterminologyjargon

Examples

用语。
Zhè piān wén zhāng de yòng yǔ hěn zhèng shì.
The wording of this article is very formal.
用语。
Fǎ lǜ yòng yǔ bì xū zhǔn què.
Legal terminology must be accurate.
用语。
Tā de yǎn jiǎng yòng le hěn duō zhuān yè yòng yǔ.
His speech used a lot of professional jargon.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

语yǔlanguage

用 means use or used, and 语 means language or words, so together they mean wording or terms.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

用 was formed by adding a handle to an earlier form.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 語; 语 is its simplified writing.

言吾語

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

吾

吾wú語yǔ

Same sound today

The form 語 pairs 言 (speech) with 吾, which gives the sound; this note is about 語, not 语.

Appears in

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