说 Stroke Order — How to Write 说
说 is written in 9 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 讠, then complete the remaining strokes.
Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.
说 Radical and Character Components
说 is a phono-semantic compound: 讠 (speech) carries the meaning, while 兑 indicates the sound.
Radical: 讠 + 7 more strokes
说 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- shuō
- shuì
- yuè
Meanings of 说 in Chinese
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.
Common Words and Phrases with 说
1
Spoken part or soliloquy in traditional Chinese opera or play.
演员在戏曲表演中，除了优美的唱腔，还有很多生动的说白来推动剧情发展。
In traditional opera performances, besides the beautiful singing, actors also use many vivid spoken lines to advance the plot.
2
unavoidable; cannot help but; must
人吃五谷杂粮，说不得会生病。
It's unavoidable that people who eat everyday food sometimes get sick.
3
4
Unacceptable; cannot be justified or explained.
你这样突然辞职，对公司和同事来说都太说不过去了
Your sudden resignation like this is really indefensible to the company and your colleagues.
5
Unable to get along with someone; unable to express oneself or at a loss for words.
我和他每次聊不到几句就说不来，感觉观念差太多了。
Every time we chat, we can't get past a few sentences because we just don't connect; it feels like our views are too different.
6
Cannot say or specify (due to lack of understanding); not worth mentioning (as it's unreliable or insignificant).
他今天为什么迟到，我也说不上来具体原因。
I can't quite tell the specific reason why he was late today.
7
a genre of popular entertainment consisting mainly of talking and singing
她从小就对评书、快板等说唱艺术形式充满了浓厚的兴趣。
From a young age, she developed a strong interest in shuochang art forms such as Pingshu (storytelling) and Kuaiban (clapper talk).
8
to reveal the truth or expose a secret; to lay bare
小明一直声称自己很忙，但被妈妈说穿了他在玩游戏的事实。
Xiao Ming always claimed to be busy, but his mom revealed the fact that he was playing games.
9
Excuses or grounds of a plea; reasons given for declining or defending.
他总是能为自己的迟到找到各种说辞。
He can always find various excuses for his tardiness.
10
To say something incorrectly or to express oneself poorly.
我可能说错了，请你再解释一下好吗？
I might have said something wrong, could you please explain it again?
11
To talk big, boast, or exaggerate.
他总是喜欢说大话，但很少能实现。
He always likes to talk big, but rarely achieves anything.
12
To speak to the point; to say something that is accurate, pertinent, or hits the nail on the head.
你刚才的分析真是说到点子上了，一下子就指出了问题的关键所在。
Your analysis just now really hit the nail on the head, immediately pointing out the crux of the problem.
13
To do what one has said or promised; to put words into action.
他总是说到做到，所以大家都很信任他。
He always keeps his word, so everyone trusts him very much.
14
To talk about all sorts of subjects, often aimlessly or gossiping.
下班后，同事们常常聚在茶水间，一边喝咖啡一边说东道西，放松一下。
After work, colleagues often gather in the pantry, drinking coffee and chatting idly about various topics to relax.
15
to make unnecessary comments about others' rights and wrongs; to gossip about others
我们应该多关注自己的事情，而不是总说短论长别人的。
We should focus more on our own affairs rather than always gossiping about others' faults and merits.
16
A statement, an opinion, or a way of expressing something; it can also refer to expounding Buddhist doctrine.
高僧大德们在寺庙里为信众说法，解答他们的疑惑。
Eminent monks expound the dharma to devotees in the temple, answering their doubts.
More words with 说
- quàn劝shuō说to persuade or advise someone
- sù诉shuō说to tell; to recount; to inform
- biàn辩shuō说to debate; to argue
- jiè界shuō说Definition, To define
- qiǎn浅shuō说brief discussion, simple explanation
- què却shuō说Now, But to return to the narrative
- shù述shuō说narrate, recount
- suī虽shuō说although, though
- tán谈shuō说talk about; discuss; narrate
- xiā瞎shuō说talk nonsense or irresponsibly
- xié邪shuō说Heresy or heretical ideas.
- xù叙shuō说narrate, recount
- jù据shuō说It is said that; reportedly.
- àn按shuō说according to reason
- kuā夸shuō说to praise or to brag about
- màn慢shuō说to say nothing of; let alone
- màn漫shuō说Don't say that; hold your tongue.
- qiě且shuō说Now, Meanwhile
- shēn申shuō说to state; to explain; to elaborate
- xù絮shuō说to chatter; to talk on and on
Idioms with 说
- shuō说dé得qīng轻qiǎo巧Easier said than done
- shuō说dōng东tán谈xī西ramble on without a central topic
- shuō说dōng东wàng忘xī西forgetful or absent-minded
- shuō说gǔ古dào道jīn今discuss past and present
- shuō说hǎo好shuō说dǎi歹to persuade or criticize in every possible way
- shuō说hēi黑dào道bái白make arbitrary comments or judgments
- shuō说huáng黄dào道hēi黑to make irresponsible comments
- shuō说lái来huà话cháng长It's a long story
- shuō说lái来shuō说qù去after much discussion, it boils down to
- shuō说qī七shuō说bā八to talk at length about various things
- shuō说qiān千shuō说wàn万talk endlessly or at great length
- shuō说qīn亲dào道rè热express warmth and affection verbally
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Open the tool →Questions about 说
What does 说 mean in Chinese?
说 (shuō) means “To express meaning with words” in Chinese.
How do you pronounce 说?
说 has 3 pronunciations: shuō, shuì, yuè.
How many strokes does 说 have?
说 has 9 strokes.
How do you write 说?
说 is written in 9 strokes, starting from the radical 讠. See the animated stroke order on this page.
What is the radical of 说?
The radical of 说 is 讠, and 说 is a phono-semantic compound.
