Common Meanings
1
shuō说
To express meaning with words; to speak or explain.
老师正在解说这道题的答案。
The teacher is explaining the answer to this problem.
To mediate, to act as an intermediary, or to arrange (especially a marriage).
她为这对年轻人说媒，希望他们能终成眷属。
She acted as a matchmaker for the young couple, hoping they would eventually get married.
theory, doctrine; to state one's views or opinions
他提出了一个关于气候变化的创新学说。
He proposed an innovative theory about climate change.
To criticize, find fault with, or scold someone.
他总是说我这不好，那不好。
He always criticizes me, saying I'm not good at this and not good at that.
A classical Chinese literary genre, typically an essay, used to expound on principles, ideas, or social phenomena, exemplified by works like Han Yu's 'Shī Shuō'.
古人常通过'说'这种文体来阐述自己的观点
Ancient scholars often expounded their views through the literary genre of 'Shuo'.
2
shuì说
to persuade (someone to agree with one's opinion), to lobby
他成功游说大家支持他的提案
He successfully lobbied everyone to support his proposal.
3
yuè说
When pronounced 'yuè', '说' is an archaic variant of '悦' (yuè), meaning to be pleased, delighted, or to gladden.
闻此佳音，众人心说
Upon hearing this good news, everyone was delighted.