Dictionary › 言

言

yán

HSK 4 Character

What 言 means

1. words
2. speech
3. to say
4. to talk

Example sentences

• 不言而喻。
  Bùyán'éryù.
  That goes without saying.
• 撤回前言。
  Chèhuí qiányán.
  I take back everything I said.
• 注意言行！
  Zhùyì yánxíng!
  Be careful what you say.
• 一言为定！
  Yīyánwéidìng!
  It's a deal!
• 一派胡言！
  Yīpàihúyán!
  A bunch of nonsense!
• 在商言商。
  Business is business.

Words starting with 言

• 言论yán lùnexpression of opinion; views; remarks
• 言语yán yǔwords; speech; (spoken) language
• 言行yán xíngwords and actions; what one says and what one does
• 言辞yán cíwords; expression; what one says
• 言说yán shuōto speak of; to refer to
• 言谈yán tándiscourse; words; utterance
• 言中yán zhòngto have one's words prove to be prophetic
• 言情yán qíng(of a movie, novel etc) portraying a love affair; romantic; sentimental
• 言情小说yán qíng xiǎo shuōromance novel; romantic fiction
• 言归正传yán guī zhèng zhuànto return to the topic (idiom); to get back to the main point
• 言喻yán yùto describe; to put into words
• 言不由衷yán bù yóu zhōngto say sth without meaning it (idiom); to speak tongue in cheek…
• 言外之意yán wài zhī yì(idiom) unspoken implication; the actual meaning of what was said
• 言传身教yán chuán shēn jiàoto teach by words and example (idiom)
• 言简意赅yán jiǎn yì gāiconcise and comprehensive (idiom)
• 言传yán chuánto convey in words
• 言过其实yán guò qí shí(idiom) to exaggerate; to overstate the facts
• 言听计从yán tīng jì cóngto see, hear and obey (idiom); to take advice; to take sb at his word
• 言教yán jiàoto give verbal instruction
• 言明yán míngto state clearly
• 言重yán zhòngto speak seriously; to exaggerate
• 言论界yán lùn jièthe press; the media
• 言下之意yán xià zhī yìimplication
• 言不及义yán bù jí yìto talk nonsense (idiom); frivolous talk

Words containing 言

• 语言yǔ yánlanguage
• 发言fā yánto make a speech; statement; utterance
• 留言liú yánto leave a message; to leave one's comments; message
• 方言fāng yántopolect; dialect
• 预言yù yánto predict; prophecy
• 谣言yáo yánrumor
• 寓言yù yánfable; allegory; parable
• 总而言之zǒng ér yán zhīin short; in a word; in brief
• 不言而喻bù yán ér yù(idiom) it goes without saying; it is self-evident
• 序言xù yánpreface; introductory remarks; preamble; prelude
• 而言ér yán(typically preceded by 就…jiù xx or 對…
• 谎言huǎng yánlie
• 发言人fā yán rénspokesperson
• 语言学yǔ yán xuélinguistics
• 自言自语zì yán zì yǔ(idiom) to talk to oneself; to think aloud; to soliloquize
• 宣言xuān yándeclaration; manifesto
• 无言wú yánto remain silent; to have nothing to say
• 名言míng yánsaying; famous remark
• 誓言shì yánto pledge; to promise; oath
• 一言不发yī yán bù fāto not say a word (idiom)
• 传言chuán yánrumor; hearsay
• 诺言nuò yánpromise
• 代言dài yánto be a spokesperson; to be an ambassador (for a brand); to endorse
• 闻言wén yánto have heard what was said

Characters that look like 言

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 官guāngovernment official; governmental; official
• 吉jílucky; giga- (meaning billion or 10^9)
• 盲mángblind
• 亥hài12th earthly branch: 9-11 p.m., 10th solar month (7th November-6th December), year of the…
• 瓮wèngpottery container for water, wine etc
• 肓huāngregion between heart and diaphragm

Sounds the same

Read yán, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 颜color; face; countenance
• 研to grind; study; research
• 严tight (closely sealed); stern; strict
• 盐salt
• 延to prolong; to extend; to delay
• 沿along; to follow (a line, tradition etc); to carry on
• 炎flame; inflammation; -itis
• 岩cliff; rock
• 妍beautiful
• 檐eaves; ledge or brim
• 阎(literary) the gate of a lane
• 筵bamboo mat for sitting