言说 (yán shuì) — to speak, to talk about (in a formal or literary sense)

Definition

A formal, written verb meaning 'to articulate or discuss' (especially ideas, principles, or relationships), seen in essays and academic prose. Unlike everyday 说, 言说 is literary and rarely used in spoken Chinese.

verb
to speakto talk about (in a formal or literary sense)

Examples

  • ，言说。
    Guān yú zhè ge wèn tí, tā yán shuì le hěn duō dào lǐ.
    He talked a lot of principles about this issue.
  • 言说。
    Zhè piān wén zhāng yán shuì le rén yǔ zì rán de hé xié guān xì.
    This article discusses the harmonious relationship between humans and nature.
  • 言说。
    Tā nán yǐ yán shuì nà yí kè de gǎn shòu.
    He found it hard to put into words the feeling at that moment.

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.

言yánspeak
说shuōspeak

言 and 说 both mean speak, emphasizing talking, discourse, or utterance.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The early form of 言 shows an opening and a mark indicating a location; the location is not described as the source of speech.

Open 言 →

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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