说和 (shuō hé) — to mediate, to conciliate (a dispute)

Definition

说和 (shuìhe) means to step into a dispute and help two sides reconcile — a mediator role, not just giving advice. Unlike 调解 (tiáojiě), which is the formal/official process, 说和 is informal and typically done by a friend, neighbor, or relative.

verb
to mediateto conciliate (a dispute)

Examples

  • 说和。
    Tā bāng wǒ men shuō hé le zhè jiàn shì.
    He helped us mediate this matter.
  • ，说和。
    Lín jū chǎo jià, tā zhǔ dòng qù shuō hé.
    The neighbors were quarreling, so he took the initiative to mediate.
  • 说和，。
    Jīng guò duō cì shuō hé, shuāng fāng zhōng yú hé jiě le.
    After many rounds of mediation, the two sides finally reconciled.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

说shuōspeak; persuade
和hépeace

“说” means to speak or persuade, and “和” is peace, giving the act of speaking toward peace in a quarrel.

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 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 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
禾
禾hé和hé
Same sound today

和 pairs 禾, which gives the sound, with 口 (mouth), the meaning part; the reference connects this shape to harmony.

Open 和 →

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