說

Stroke order

說 (Kangxi radical 149, 言+7, 14 strokes, cangjie input 卜口金口山 (YRCRU), four-corner 0861₆, composition ⿰訁兌)

• 𡁾

• 説 (Traditional form used in Hong Kong, mainland China and Japan)
• 说 (Simplified Chinese)

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1164, character 8
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 35556
• Dae Jaweon: page 1629, character 14
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): not present, would follow volume 6, page 3979, character 3
• Unihan data for U+8AAA

• Unihan data for U+F96F

• Unihan data for U+F9A1

Historical forms of the character 說
Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *hljods, *hljod, *lod) : semantic 言 + phonetic 兌 (OC *l'oːds).

All of the pronunciations of this character are in the same word family apparently derived from a root *lo meaning “to loosen; to relax” (Schuessler, 2007); based on this, STEDT compares the word to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g/s-lwat (“free; release; slip; dislocate”), whence also 脫 (OC *l̥ʰoːd, *l'oːd, “to peel off, take off (clothes), escape, etc.”). However, STEDT also offers an alternative derivation from a provisional Proto-Sino-Tibetan *b-tsyat (“to speak, say”), comparing Tibetan འཆད ('chad, “to say, explain”), which is semantically more appealing; the association with the words associated with "release" may be a case of phonetic pigeonholing.

According to the "release" theory, Pronunciation 1 is derived by causative devoicing of 悅 (OC *lod, “to relax; to be delighted”) (pronunciation 3).

Pronunciation 2 is probably the exoactive of pronunciation 1.

說

1. to say; to speak

   說漢語／说汉语  ―  shuō Hànyǔ  ―  speak Chinese

   說話／说话  ―  shuōhuà  ―  to speak

   這就是我所說的。 [MSC, trad.]
   这就是我所说的。 [MSC, simp.]

   Zhè jiù shì wǒ suǒ shuō de.

   That’s what I said.

2. to explain

   把話說清楚／把话说清楚  ―  bǎ huà shuō qīngchǔ  ―  to make it clear

3. to refer to

   是說你，不是說他。 [MSC, trad.]
   是说你，不是说他。 [MSC, simp.]

   Shì shuō nǐ, bùshì shuō tā.

   I am talking about you, not them.

4. to discuss

   沒有好說的。／没有好说的。  ―  Méiyǒu hǎo shuō de.  ―  There is nothing to say.

5. to introduce; to bring parties together

   說媒／说媒  ―  shuōméi  ―  to act as a matchmaker

6. to criticize; to scold; to upbraid

   你怎麼天天都說我？ [MSC, trad.]
   你怎么天天都说我？ [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ zěnme tiāntiān dōu shuō wǒ?

   Why do you constantly criticize me?

7. to perform

   說相聲／说相声  ―  shuō xiàngshēng  ―  to perform cross-talk

8. theory; explanation

   學說／学说  ―  xuéshuō  ―  theory

   假說／假说  ―  jiǎshuō  ―  hypothesis

• (to say):

• (to explain):

• (to refer):

• (to discuss):

• (to criticize):

• (theory):

說

1. to persuade; to canvass; to lobby
2. (Quanzhou Hokkien) to swindle; to defraud; to cheat out of

• (to persuade):

說

1. ^† Alternative form of 悅／悦 (yuè, “happy; delighted”)

   • 學而時習之，不亦說乎？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     学而时习之，不亦说乎？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Xué ér shí xí zhī, bù yì yuè hū?

     Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application?