词语
cí yǔ
Words · trad. 詞語
词语 (cíyǔ) is the general term for "words" or "terms" in Mandarin Chinese. It refers to units of meaning, like vocabulary or expressions, rather than individual characters or spoken sentences.
When to use it
Neutral. While 词语 is common for "words" as vocabulary, 字 (zì) refers to individual written characters, and 话 (huà) refers to "speech" or "what is said." For example, "my words" is often 我的话 (wǒ de huà).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like "tsuh-YOO." The first syllable "cí" is a rising tone, similar to "tsunami" without the "na." The second syllable "yǔ" is a dipping third tone, like "yew" in "you."
Other ways to say it
- 词cíword / term (often used in compounds or more technical contexts)
- 字zìcharacter (an individual written unit)
- 话huàspeech / what is said / words (often referring to spoken words or a statement)
Examples
学习新词语很重要。
xué xí xīn cí yǔ hěn zhòng yào 。
Learning new words is very important.
这个词语是什么意思？
zhè ge cí yǔ shì shén me yì sī ？
What does this word mean?
请用你的话解释一下。
qǐng yòng nǐ de huà jiě shì yí xià 。
Please explain it in your own words.
Pro tip: Be careful to distinguish 词语 (words/terms, like vocabulary) from 字 (individual written characters) and 话 (spoken words or speech). For instance, "how many words are in this sentence?" would likely use 词语, but "how many characters are in this word?" would use 字.
Related phrases
和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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