Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 說 / 说 | shuō |
| 告訴 / 告诉 | gàosu |
說 / 说 (shuō) is the most common and general term for 'say' in Chinese. It is also the standard verb used to express the ability to speak a specific language, such as in the phrase 說中文 (shuō Zhōngwén), meaning 'speak Chinese'.
Which one should you use?
While 說 / 说 (shuō) focuses on the act of speaking or the content of the words, 告訴 / 告诉 (gàosu) is used specifically when 'telling' someone information or a message. Unlike 說 / 说, 告訴 / 告诉 is a transitive verb that typically requires a direct object representing the person being told to follow it immediately.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 說 / 说 (shuō) can be followed by a direct quote or a clause, for example: 說他在家 (shuō tā zài jiā), meaning 'say/said he is at home'. The verb 告訴 / 告诉 (gàosu) can take a double object structure consisting of [Person] + 告訴 / 告诉 + [Person] + [Information], such as: 告訴我你的名字 (gàosu wǒ nǐ de míngzi), meaning 'tell me your name'.
How do you pronounce it?
shuō
Did you know?
- Beyond its meaning as 'to say', the character 說 / 说 is historically linked to the root 脫 (tuō), which means 'to take off clothes' or 'to escape'.
- The character 說 / 说 has a secondary pronunciation, yuè, where it means 'to be pleased' or 'delighted'. This rare usage changes the word from a verb about speaking to an adjective about emotion.
- The character for 'say', 說 / 说, is built with the radical 言, which literally means 'speech' or 'words'. This visual component acts as a hint to the word's meaning in almost all characters related to communication.
Examples in context
- 他说他会来参加会议。He says he will attend the meeting.
- 教授在讲座上发表了重要观点。The professor expressed important viewpoints in the lecture.
- 他宣称自己无罪。He proclaimed his innocence.
- 他跟我说他喜欢这个音乐。He told me he likes this music.
- 我讲下怎么做这道菜吧。Let me tell you how to cook this dish.
- 我再说一下，这次活动很重要。Let me emphasize again, this event is very important.
- 你不要这样说话。Don't talk like that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “say” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 說, CC BY-SA 4.0.
