述说 (shù shuì) — to state; to recount; to narrate | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A formal verb meaning 'to recount / narrate', used for telling events or stories in writing or prepared speech. Suggests a fuller, more orderly account than plain 说.

verb

to stateto recountto narrate

Examples

述说。
Tā xiàng wǒ men shù shuì le shì jiàn de wán zhěng jīng guò.
He recounted the full course of events to us.
述说。
Lǎo rén màn màn dì shù shuì zhe nián qīng shí de gù shi.
The old man slowly narrated stories from his youth.
述说。
Bào gào zhōng shù shuì le wèn tí de gēn yuán.
The report stated the root cause of the problem.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

述shùnarrate

述 means narrate and 说 means speak, together meaning to recount.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辵辵chuòwalk

Sound part声符shēngfú

朮

朮zhú述shù

Same sound today

述 combines 辵, a walking radical, with 朮, which gives the sound; the walking part belongs to the meaning.

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.

言兌說

Meaning part形符xíngfú

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.

Appears in

Communication & Speech

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