v.
to speak; to talk
说话
to speak; to talk
Literally 'speak words' (说 speak + 话 speech/words). A separable verb meaning to speak, talk, or converse; say 别说话 (don't speak).
Common Usage & Traps
- 说话 — speak; talk
- 和我说话 — talk to me
- 不说话 — not speak; stay silent
- 别说话 — don't talk
- 和朋友说话 — talk with a friend
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说话我和我说话Chinese puts 和 or 跟 before the person, not after 说话.
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说话汉语说汉语说话 means talk in general; to name a language, use 说 plus the language.
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他说话他很忙他说他很忙To report words, use 说 plus the sentence, not 说话 plus the sentence.
Can you just say 说话我 to mean 'talk to me'?
Never say 说话我. Chinese puts 和 or 跟 before the person: 和我说话.
说话我 fails because 我 is not something you can put after 说话. Chinese marks the listener with 和 or 跟 first. So 'talk to me' is 和我说话 or 跟我说话, not 说话我. Same pattern for friends: 和朋友说话, not 说话朋友.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Talk to me | 和我说话 / 跟我说话 | 说话我 |
| Talk to a friend | 和朋友说话 | 说话朋友 |
| Nobody talks to me | 没有人和我说话 | 没有人说话我 |
Can 说话 take a language or a whole sentence after it, like 说话汉语 or 他说话他很忙?
说话 never takes a language or a sentence after it. Use 说 + that thing.
说话 means talk in general, with no named language or quoted sentence. If you name a language, use 说: 说汉语. If you report words, also use 说: 他说他很忙. 说话汉语 and 他说话他很忙 both break that rule.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Speak Chinese | 说汉语 | 说话汉语 |
| Report words | 他说他很忙 | 他说话他很忙 |
| General talk | 我们在说话 | 我们在说话汉语 |
Appears in Stories 5 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
Why would a millionaire leave a table of lobster and wagyu untouched? This story explores the hidden rules of business dining and the true cost of staying alert.
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他一直在 说话 ，跟左边的人谈汇率，跟右边的人谈仓储。
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他转头看我一眼，没 说话 。
Is four years to reach HSK 5 fast or slow? Follow a conversation between two learners as they compare study hours and share realistic strategies for busy adults.
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B：我们 说话 的时候，只说“汉语”就可以了，就是说“中文老师、汉语老师”都可以。
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我和他学 说话 ，也学认汉字。
Before you read, close your eyes and imagine a rainy afternoon. This story uses simple HSK 1 words to show how rain can become a talking friend.
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听——我听见雨 说话 。
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我们，我和雨， 说话 。
Everyday greetings are a gateway to natural Chinese. Practice time-based hellos like “早上好” and “晚安,” learn to address teachers with the respectful “您,” and see how families skip formalities to speak warmly at home.
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家人、朋友关系好，“谢谢”、“您”、“请”太客气，在家 说话 不客气，可以不说“您和请”。
A young man helps an old man look for his cat. But the real surprise is why the old man wanted to find the cat. Read on to learn about kindness and friendship.
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天天在家里，很多天都没有人和我 说话 。
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听见有人和我 说话 ，我觉得非常高兴。”
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
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