Dictionary › 话

话

huà

HSK 1 Character Traditional 話 Measure word 种、席、句、口、番

What 话 means

1. dialect
2. language
3. spoken words
4. speech
5. talk
6. words
7. conversation
8. what sb said

Other readings

话 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• huàold variant of {话|huà}

Example sentences

• 屁话！
  Pìhuà!
  Rubbish!
• 实话？
  The truth?
• 我想说话
  Wǒ xiǎng shuōhuà
  I want to speak.
• 接电话。
  Answer the phone.
• 话在嘴边
  It's on the tip of my tongue.
• 它说话。
  It speaks.

Words starting with 话

• 话题huà tísubject (of a talk or conversation); topic
• 话筒huà tǒngmicrophone; (telephone) receiver; handset; megaphone
• 话说huà shuōIt is said that ... (at the start of a narrative); to discuss; to recount
• 话语huà yǔwords; speech; utterance
• 话剧huà jùstage play; modern drama
• 话音huà yīnone's speaking voice; tone; implication
• 话费huà fèicall charge
• 话说回来huà shuō huí lai(but) then again; (but) on the other hand
• 话头huà tóusubject (under discussion); thread (of an argument)
• 话匣子huà xiá ziphonograph or radio (old term); chatterbox; talkative person
• 话锋huà fēngtopic under discussion; direction or tone of the conversation
• 话梅huà méiplum candy; preserved plum
• 话别huà biéto say a few parting words; to bid goodbye
• 话茬huà chátone of voice; topic; subject under discussion
• 话本huà běnSong and Yuan literary form based on vernacular folk stories
• 话术huà shùmanipulative talk; (sales) patter
• 话事人huà shì rén(colloquial) (from Cantonese) the boss; the big cheese; the top dog
• 话务员huà wù yuánphone operator
• 话中有话huà zhōng yǒu huàone's words carry an implicit meaning
• 话里有话huà lǐ yǒu huàone's words carry an implicit meaning
• 话语权huà yǔ quánability to have one's say and be listened to; influence; clout
• 话卡huà kǎcalling card (telephone)
• 话不投机huà bù tóu jī(idiom) not on the same wavelength; unable to have a congenial conversation…
• 话又说回来huà yòu shuō huí lai(but) then again; (but) on the other hand

Words containing 话

• 电话diàn huàtelephone; phone call; phone number
• 说话shuō huàto speak; to say; to talk
• 打电话dǎ diàn huàto make a telephone call
• 普通话pǔ tōng huàPutonghua; standard Mandarin
• 对话duì huàto talk (with sb); dialogue; conversation
• 笑话xiào huajoke; jest; to laugh at; to mock; ridiculous; absurd
• 神话shén huàlegend; fairy tale; myth
• 废话fèi huànonsense; rubbish; superfluous words; You don't say!; No kidding! (gently sarcastic)
• 实话shí huàtruth
• 童话tóng huàchildren's fairy tales
• 闲话xián huàcasual conversation; chat; gossip
• 一句话yī jù huàin a word; in short
• 不像话bù xiàng huàunreasonable; shocking; outrageous
• 俗话sú huàcommon saying; proverb
• 谈话tán huàto talk (with sb); to have a conversation; talk
• 讲话jiǎng huàa speech; to speak; to talk
• 说实话shuō shí huàto speak the truth; truth to tell; frankly
• 听话tīng huàto do what one is told; obedient
• 通话tōng huàto hold a conversation; to talk over the telephone; phone call
• 俗话说sú huà shuōas the proverb says; as they say...
• 换句话说huàn jù huà shuōin other words
• 问话wèn huàto ask sb a question; question
• 悄悄话qiāo qiao huàwhisperings; private words; confidences
• 会话huì huà(language learning) conversation; dialog; to converse (in a non-native language)

Characters built on 舌

These share the phonetic component 舌 (shé), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 刮guāto scrape; to blow; to shave
• 栝guāJuniperus chinensis; measuring-frame
• 鸹guāused in 老鸹

Characters that look like 话

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

• 活huóto live; alive; living
• 语yǔdialect; language; speech
• 译yìto translate; to interpret
• 诋dǐto defame; to slander
• 恬tiánquiet; calm; tranquil
• 诘jié(bound form) to question closely; to interrogate

Sounds the same

Read huà, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 画to draw; to paint; picture; painting; to draw (a line) (variant of 划
• 化to make into; to change into; -ization
• 划to delimit; to transfer; to assign
• 桦(botany) birch (genus Betula)
• 婳tranquil
• 摦wide; broad
• 繣obstinate; perverse
• 华Mount Hua 华山; surname Hua
• 畵variant of 画