英语
yīng yǔ
The phrase for "english language" in Chinese is 英语 (yīng yǔ).
英语 is used to refer to the English language.
What does it mean word for word?
The second character, 语, means language or speech.
Which one should you use?
While 英语 refers specifically to the English language, 英格兰 refers to the country of England. Additionally, 英文 is often used interchangeably with 英语, but 英文 specifically emphasizes the written form or the language as a medium, such as in the context of "English books".
How do you pronounce it?
yīng yǔ
Did you know?
- The character 英 in 英语 originally referred to a 'hero' or 'outstanding person'. It was later adopted as the phonetic shorthand for 'England' because of its sound.
- The word 英语 describes the language, but to describe something as 'English style' or 'English-flavored', Chinese speakers use 英式, which uses a completely different suffix.
- If you want to say someone is an 'English person' in the sense of someone from England, you would use 英国人 instead of using the word for the language.
Examples in context
- 我认识一个加拿大来的英语教师。I know an English language instructor who comes from Canada.This sentence is useful for identifying a person's profession and origin using 英语.Tatoeba #5613680 by verdastelo9604, translation #453326 by saasmath
- As a language enthusiast, I'm studying 英语 (yīngyǔ).As a language enthusiast, I'm studying English.
- 他的英语说得非常流利。Tā de Yīngyǔ shuō de fēicháng liúlì.He speaks English very fluently.
- 我想在网上学习英语。Wǒ xiǎng zài wǎngshàng xuéxí Yīngyǔ.I want to study English online.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing language learning at a cafe.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen浩然，你最近在学什么？Hàorán, nǐ zuìjìn zài xué shénme?Haoran, what have you been studying lately?
- 浩然 Haoran我在学英语。Wǒ zài xué Yīngyǔ.I am studying English.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen学英语对你的工作很有帮助。Xué Yīngyǔ duì nǐ de gōngzuò hěn yǒu bāngzhù.Learning English is very helpful for your work.
- 浩然 Haoran是的，我也这么觉得。Shì de, wǒ yě zhème juéde.Yes, I think so too.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
