What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the verb 说 (shuō), meaning 'to speak' and the noun 中文 (zhōngwén), meaning 'Chinese language'.
Which one should you use?
While 说中文 is the default, you might encounter other ways to express similar ideas. 请说汉语 is a polite way to say 'Please speak Chinese', and 请用汉语沟通 means 'Please communicate in Chinese'. For an informal suggestion to use Chinese for communication, you can use 用中文说.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Depending on the specific dialect or language being referred to, you may use different terms. For example, in Cantonese, you say 講廣東話 to mean 'speak Cantonese' and in Shanghainese, you use 讲上海话 to mean 'speak Shanghainese'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the ability to speak Chinese, place the auxiliary verb 会 (huì), meaning 'to know how to/can', before the phrase to get 会说中文. To negate the phrase and say someone does not speak Chinese, place 不 (bù), meaning 'not', directly before the verb to get 不说中文.
How do you pronounce it?
shuō zhōngwén
Did you know?
- The word for 'Chinese' in 中文 literally translates to 'Middle Text'.
- The word 会 used in 会说中文 specifically denotes a skill acquired through study or training.
- While 中文 describes the language, the term 汉语 literally means 'the language of the Han people'. This distinguishes the ethnic majority's tongue from the languages of other minority groups within China.
Examples in context
- 你会说中文吗?Do you speak Chinese?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has the ability to use the phrase 说中文.Tatoeba #2027964 by ydcok, translation #434626 by lukaszpp
- 虽然他是中国人，但他不会说中文。Although he is Chinese, he doesn't speak Chinese.This sentence demonstrates how to negate the phrase using 说中文.Tatoeba #10019733 by GlossaMatik, translation #3748283 by DostKaplan
- 我会说中文。I can speak Chinese.This sentence shows how to express the ability to use the phrase 说中文.Tatoeba #2778674 by Ivan24, translation #1476163 by CN
- 咱们说中文吧Let's speak Chinese
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a new colleague at work.
- 雨婷 Yuting那个新同事会说中文吗？Nàge xīn tóngshì huì shuō Zhōngwén ma?Does that new colleague speak Chinese?
- 伟 Wei他会说一点中文。Tā huì shuō yìdiǎn Zhōngwén.He can speak a little Chinese.
- 雨婷 Yuting那太好了。Nà tài hǎo le.That's great.
- 伟 Wei是的，沟通起来很方便。Shì de, gōutōng qǐlái hěn fāngbiàn.Yes, it makes communication very convenient.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
