说
Character learning workspace

shuì / shuō · to speak, to say

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

HSK 3.0 · Level 1Frequency #19
Watch · inspect · write

Learn every stroke in 说

Replay the complete order, pause on difficult movements, inspect one stroke at a time, then write it yourself with live correction.

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Sound changes meaning

Readings & meanings

说 has 2 dictionary pronunciations. The examples show how each reading behaves in real words.

shuì

to persuade

shuō

to speak; to talk; to say; to explain

说话shuō huà · to speak
Step-by-step explorer

See how 说 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Character anatomy

Understand the reusable parts

The decomposition shows how the visual pieces fit together, not necessarily the character’s historical origin.

Writing notes

Shape and proportion

9Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Left-rightCharacter structure

Keep the left side compact and leave enough room for the right side.

讠Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

Download a 说 writing sheet

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Vocabulary in context

Common words with 说

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

shuōto speak; to talk; to say; to explain
Read and listen

Example sentences

Notice where 说 sits in each complete thought.

Wǒ zài yě bú huì gēn nǐ shuō huà le.我再也不会跟你说话了。

I will never speak to you again.

Source: Tatoeba #9178035 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ tīng shuō, nǐ xiǎng lái jiàn wǒ le ma?我听说,你想来见我了吗?

I hear you wanted to see me?

Source: Tatoeba #1888895 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Hǎo le, bú yào zài shuō le.好了,不要再说了。

Okay, let's say no more about it.

Source: Tatoeba #2358003 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ zài yě bù hé tā shuō huà le.我再也不和他说话了。

I don't talk to him anymore.

Source: Tatoeba #2390164 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ bú huì zài shuō le.我不会再说了。

I'm not going to say this twice.

Source: Tatoeba #9959195 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Nǐ shuō de bú shì zhēn de.你说的不是真的。

What you said is not true.

Source: Tatoeba #1428141 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 说 in context

  1. Say shuì / shuō, then recall the core meaning: to speak, to say.
  2. Write all 9 strokes while keeping the left-right balanced.
  3. Use it in 说话 (shuō huà), meaning “to speak”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 说 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.