吐字 (tǔ zì) — to enunciate, to articulate (words) clearly | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

吐字 means to enunciate or articulate each word clearly, used in speaking, broadcasting, or singing. It focuses on how clearly individual sounds and syllables come out, not on tone or meaning.

verb

to enunciateto articulate (words) clearly

Examples

吐字。
Zhè wèi bō yīn yuán tǔ zì fēi cháng qīng chǔ.
This broadcaster enunciates very clearly.
吐字。
Tā měi tǔ zì yí gè zì dōu hěn yòng lì.
He enunciates every single word with great effort.
，吐字。
Wǒ men yào duō liàn xí, ràng tǔ zì gèng zhǔn què.
We should practice more to make our enunciation more accurate.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

吐tǔlet out

"吐" means to let out or pronounce, and "字" refers to words or characters, so together they mean articulate clearly.

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.

口土吐

Meaning part形符xíngfú

口口kǒumouth

Sound part声符shēngfú

土

土tǔ吐tǔ

Same sound today

吐 pairs 口, the mouth, with 土, which gives the sound.

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

宀子字

Meaning part形符xíngfú

宀宀miánroof

Sound part声符shēngfú

子

子zǐ字zì

Same sound today

字 pairs 宀 (roof) with 子 (child); 子 gives the sound, while 宀 relates to the meaning.

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