说 shuō
“to speak; to talk; to say; to explain; to comment; to scold; to tell off”
verb2021 list level 1Traditional 說
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
说 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 196: 说 shuō — Level 1; official annotation 1 (动). PDF page 84
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 说
说 (shuō) means to speak, say or talk. Name the language directly after 说 (说中文), put what is said after 说, and use 跟 or 对 + person before 说 to name the listener (跟我说, never 说我).
例句Example sentences
- 他中文说得非常流利。tā zhōng wén shuō de fēi cháng liú lì.He speaks Chinese very fluently.
- 老师对我说：“请进。”lǎo shī duì wǒ shuō:" qǐng jìn."The teacher said to me, "Please come in."
- 你刚才说什么？我没听清楚。nǐ gāng cái shuō shén me? wǒ méi tīng qīng chu.What did you just say? I did not hear clearly.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗他昨天说我这件事。
✓他昨天跟我说了这件事。 / 他昨天告诉我这件事。
说 cannot take a person as an indirect object; use 跟/对 + person + 说, or use 告诉.
易混词Easily confused
说vs告诉
说 focuses on speaking or the words spoken (跟我说); 告诉 means to tell/inform someone and takes the person directly after it (告诉我).
义项All meanings
- shuì: to persuade
- shuō: to speak; to talk; to say; to explain; to comment; to scold; to tell off; (bound form) theory; doctrine
- shuō: variant of 说