评说 (píng shuō) — to comment on; to evaluate; to discuss (a topic, event, etc.)

Definition

评说 is a fairly formal verb meaning to comment on or evaluate a matter, often found in writing or journalism. Compared with 评论, it emphasizes personal judgment or assessment rather than review or critique.

verb
to comment onto evaluateto discuss (a topic, event, etc.)

Examples

  • 评说。
    Lì shǐ xué jiā duì zhè duàn lì shǐ yǒu bù tóng de píng shuō.
    Historians have different comments on this period of history.
  • 评说。
    Wǒ men bú yīng gāi qīng yì píng shuō bié rén de xuǎn zé.
    We shouldn't casually evaluate other people's choices.
  • 评说。
    Zhè piān bào dào duì dāng qián jīng jì xíng shì jìn xíng le kè guān píng shuō.
    This report provides an objective commentary on the current economic situation.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

评píngevaluate
说shuōspeak

评 means evaluate and 说 means speak, together giving the idea of commenting or discussing.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 評; 评 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
平
平píng評píng
Same sound today

The traditional form 評 uses 言 for speech and 平 as a sound part; the simplified 评 is a later shorthand.

Open 评 →

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 說; 说 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
兌
兌duì說shuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 說 pairs 言 (meaning) with 兌 (sound); the simplified 说 is not the form described here.

Open 说 →

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