言
words; speech; to say; to talk
7 strokes
Dict coverage rank #148 U+8A00
How 言 is formed
Ideographic compound (会意字)
A tongue sticking out of a mouth 口
How to remember it
say · Heisig RSH #346
二 two + 口 mouth + top hat — as a component also called: words
Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.
Characters built with 言 as their sound component
These characters all use 言 (yán) as their phonetic component — compare how they read:
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 言 sound component | yán | words, speech; to speak, to say |
| 唁 | yàn | to offer condolences |
| 狺 | yín | the snarling of dogs |
Words containing 言
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 言行不一 | yán xíng bù yī | (idiom) to say one thing and do another |
| 一言一动 | yī yán yī dòng | (one's) every word and deed (idiom) |
| 一言一行 | yī yán yī xíng | every word and action (idiom) |
| 一言不发 | yī yán bù fā | to not say a word (idiom) |
| 一言不合 | yī yán bù hé | (idiom) to have a disagreement (typically leading to a quarrel or fight) |
| 不言不语 | bù yán bù yǔ | to not say a word (idiom); to keep silent |
| 发言人 | fā yán rén | spokesperson |
| 语言学家 | yǔ yán xué jiā | linguist |
| 不言自明 | bù yán zì míng | self-evident; needing no explanation (idiom) |
| 自言自语 | zì yán zì yǔ | (idiom) to talk to oneself; to think aloud; to soliloquize |
| 言之无物 | yán zhī wú wù | (of a writing etc) to have no substance (idiom); to carry no weight |
| 大言 | dà yán | to exaggerate; to boast |
| 言之有物 | yán zhī yǒu wù | (of one's words) to have substance |
| 一言 | yī yán | one sentence; brief remark |
| 言中 | yán zhòng | to have one's words prove to be prophetic |
| 语言学 | yǔ yán xué | linguistics |
| 无言 | wú yán | to remain silent; to have nothing to say |
| 自言 | zì yán | to say (sth that relates to oneself) |
| 文言文 | wén yán wén | Classical Chinese writing |
| 言行 | yán xíng | words and actions; what one says and what one does |