NetChai Chinese
说英语
shuō yīng yǔ
Speak english · trad. 說英語

说英语 (shuō Yīngyǔ) is the standard way to say "speak English" in Mandarin Chinese. It's used to ask if someone can speak English or to state one's own ability to do so.

When to use it

Neutral. To ask politely, you can say 您会说英语吗？ (nín huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma?). For a direct question, use 你会说英语吗？ (nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma?). To reply, use 会 (huì, "yes, I can") or 不会 (bù huì, "no, I can't").

How to pronounce it

Sounds roughly like "shwor EENG-yoo." 说 is a high, flat tone. 英 is a high, flat tone, and 语 is a dipping (third) tone.

Other ways to say it

  • 说英文shuō yīng wénspeak English (using another common term for English)
  • 讲英语jiǎng yīng yǔspeak English (using an alternative verb for 'speak')
  • 会说英语huì shuō yīng yǔcan speak English (emphasizing ability)

Examples

你会说英语吗？
nǐ huì shuō yīng yǔ ma ？
Do you speak English?
我只会说一点点英语。
wǒ zhī huì shuō yì diǎn diǎn yīng yǔ 。
I can only speak a little English.
他英语说得很好。
tā yīng yǔ shuō dé hěn hǎo 。
He speaks English very well.
Pro tip: When asking or stating if someone 'can' speak English, it's very common to include 会 (huì, 'can/be able to'), as in 你会说英语吗？ or 我会说英语。

Related phrases

和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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