结巴
jiēba
The English word "stutter" is translated into Chinese as 结巴 (jiēba).
The term 结巴 is used both as a noun to describe the speech disorder and as a verb to describe the act of stuttering.
Meaning: speech disorder (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
'口吃' is a term used in mainland Chinese vocabulary.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun 结巴 can also function as a verb meaning "to stutter". A common way to describe someone who is stuttering in a sentence is to use the phrase 说话结巴.
How do you pronounce it?
jiēba
Did you know?
- The term 结 in 结巴 can also mean 'to tie' or 'to knot', metaphorically suggesting that the speaker's words are tied up or knotted in their throat.
- While 结巴 is widely understood, the term 口吃 is the preferred medical and formal term in mainland China to avoid the potentially derogatory tone of 结巴.
- Because the concept of 'face' is central to Chinese culture, avoiding 结巴 in formal public speaking is often seen as a matter of social prestige rather than just a medical concern.
Examples in context
- 我说话有点结巴。I have a stutter.
- 他说话有点结巴。Tā shuōhuà yǒudiǎn jiēba.He stutters a little when he speaks.
- 他的结巴并不严重。Tā de jiēba bìng bù yánzhòng.His stutter is not serious.
- 紧张时她会结巴。Jǐnzhāng shí tā huì jiēba.She stutters when she is nervous.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a classmate's speech.
- 浩然 Haoran你发现新同学说话有结巴吗？Nǐ fāxiàn xīn tóngxué shuōhuà yǒu jiēba ma?Did you notice the new classmate has a stutter?
- 梓涵 Zihan是的，他说话时有点结巴。Shì de, tā shuōhuà shí yǒudiǎn jiēba.Yes, he stutters a bit when speaking.
- 浩然 Haoran也许他只是太害羞了。Yěxǔ tā zhǐshì tài hàixiū le.Maybe he is just too shy.
- 梓涵 Zihan我也觉得可能是这样。Wǒ yě juédé kěnéng shì zhèyàng.I also think that might be the case.
