詞 / 词
cí
In Chinese, the English word "word" is expressed as 詞 / 词 (cí). Wiktionary also lists 單詞 / 单词 (dāncí) and 詞語 / 词语 (cíyǔ).
Meaning: unit of language (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 詞 / 词 | cí |
| 單詞 / 单词 | dāncí |
| 詞語 / 词语 | cíyǔ |
The term is a noun referring to a unit of language. Depending on whether you are discussing a single linguistic unit, a specific term or a religious concept, different words are used. For example, 道 can refer to the "Creative word of God," and 聖言 / 圣言 refers to "Scripture."
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the linguistic context. Use 單詞 / 单词 when you are referring specifically to a single, discrete unit of language (a single word). Use 詞語 / 词语 when referring to words or terms in a more general or collective sense, often implying a specific term or expression.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form цы is used in the Dungan language, which is a variety of Chinese spoken by Muslim populations in Central Asia.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization for 詞 / 词 is cí.
Did you know?
- In the Dungan language, a variety of Chinese spoken by Muslim populations in Central Asia, the word for 'word' is written as цы. This reflects the unique linguistic history of the Dungan people in regions like Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
- While 詞 means 'word' in a linguistic sense, it is also the term used for 'lyrics' in a song or a specific form of classical poetry.
- The character 詞 / 词 is a phono-semantic compound, a type of character where one part provides the meaning and the other provides the sound.
Examples in context
- 汉语中有很多有趣的词语。Chinese has many interesting words.
- 这个词的意思是什么？What is the meaning of this word?
- 你知道这个单词怎么读吗？Do you know how to pronounce this word?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “word” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 詞, CC BY-SA 4.0.
