话

話/諙

huà

舌 + 讠

Definitions

huà (noun) words; speech; talk; spoken language

huà (verb) to speak; to say; to talk

Etymology

Simplified form of 話. Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 𠯑 represents the sound.

About

话 is the simplified form of 話, a phono-semantic compound. The component 讠 (derived from 言, speech) carries the meaning, while the original phonetic was 𠯑 (huá). In simplification, 舌 (shé, tongue) replaced 𠯑, now suggesting both the sound and the role of the tongue in speaking. The character denotes spoken words, language, conversation, and the act of talking. It frequently appears in compound words for dialects, types of dialogue, and telephone calls.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他说了很多话。

Tā shuō le hěn duō huà.

He said a lot of things.

你说的话是真的吗？

Nǐ shuō de huà shì zhēn de ma?

Is what you said true?

这句话是什么意思？

Zhè jù huà shì shénme yìsi?

What does this sentence mean?

别跟我说客气话。

Bié gēn wǒ shuō kèqì huà.

Don't be so polite with me (literally: don't speak polite words to me).

我们找个时间好好说说话。

Wǒmen zhǎo gè shíjiān hǎohāo shuō shuō huà.

Let's find some time to have a good talk.

电话里传来他焦急的话语。

Diànhuà lǐ chuán lái tā jiāojí de huàyǔ.

His anxious words came through the phone.

你能把心里话告诉我吗？

Nǐ néng bǎ xīnlihuà gàosù wǒ ma?

Can you tell me what's truly on your mind?

对于此事，官方尚未公开发表讲话。

Duìyú cǐ shì, guānfāng shàngwèi gōngkāi fābiǎo jiǎnghuà.

Regarding this matter, the authorities have not yet made a public speech.

Related Characters

Component: 舌

Component: 讠

话