語言

語言

See also: 语言

Chinese

		speech; language; dialect speech; language; dialect; tell to	to speak; to say; talk to speak; to say; talk; word
trad. (語言)		語	言
simp. (语言)		语	言
anagram		言語／言语

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): yǔyán

  (Zhuyin): ㄩˇ ㄧㄢˊ

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): йүян (yüi͡an, II-I)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou, Jyutping): jyu⁵ jin⁴

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): ngui⁴ ngun³

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): ngî-ngièn / ngî-ngiàn

  (Meixian, Guangdong): ngi¹ ngian²

• Min Bei (KCR): ngṳ̌-ngṳ̂ing
• Min Dong (BUC): ngṳ̄-ngiòng
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): gú-giân / gír-giân / gí-gân / gí-giân

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ghe² ngang⁵

• Wu (Wiktionary): nyy hhi (T3)

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yǔyán
    • Zhuyin: ㄩˇ ㄧㄢˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yǔyán
    • Wade–Giles: yü³-yen²
    • Yale: yǔ-yán
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yeuyan
    • Palladius: юйянь (jujjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /y²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ jɛn³⁵/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: йүян (yüi͡an, II-I)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /y⁵¹ iæ̃²⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: jyu⁵ jin⁴
    • Yale: yúh yìhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jy⁵ jin⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: yu⁵ yin⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jyː¹³ jiːn²¹/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: ngui⁴ ngun³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ᵑɡui²¹ ᵑɡun²²/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ngî-ngièn
    • Hakka Romanization System: ngi´ ngienˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ngi¹ ngian²
    • Sinological IPA: /ɲi²⁴ ɲi̯en¹¹/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ngî-ngiàn
    • Hakka Romanization System: ngi´ ngianˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ngi¹ ngian²
    • Sinological IPA: /ɲi²⁴ ɲi̯an¹¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: ngi¹ ngian²
    • Sinological IPA: /ɲi⁴⁴⁻³⁵ ɲian¹¹/
• Min Bei
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ngṳ̌-ngṳ̂ing
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋy²¹ ŋyiŋ³³/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ngṳ̄-ngiòng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋy³³⁻²¹ ŋyoŋ⁵³/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Taipei)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: gú-giân
    • Tâi-lô: gú-giân
    • Phofsit Daibuun: gw'gieen
    • IPA (Xiamen, Taipei): /ɡu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ɡiɛn²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: gír-giân
    • Tâi-lô: gír-giân
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ɡɯ⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ ɡiɛn²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: gí-gân
    • Tâi-lô: gí-gân
    • Phofsit Daibuun: gy'gaan
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /ɡi⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ɡan¹³/
  • (Hokkien: Kaohsiung, Jinjiang, Philippines)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: gí-giân
    • Tâi-lô: gí-giân
    • Phofsit Daibuun: gy'gieen
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɡi⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ ɡiɛn²³/
    • IPA (Jinjiang, Philippines): /ɡi⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ ɡiɛn²⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: ghe² ngang⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: gṳ́ ngâng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɡɯ⁵²⁻³⁵ ŋaŋ⁵⁵/
• Wu
  • (Shanghainese)
    • Wiktionary: nyy hhi (T3)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /n̠ʲy²² ɦi⁴⁴/

---

• Middle Chinese: /ŋɨʌ^X  ŋɨɐn/

Rime
Character	語	言
Reading #	1/2	1/1
Initial (聲)	疑 (31)	疑 (31)
Final (韻)	魚 (22)	元 (65)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	魚巨切	語軒切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ŋɨʌX/	/ŋɨɐn/
Pan Wuyun	/ŋiɔX/	/ŋiɐn/
Shao Rongfen	/ŋiɔX/	/ŋiɐn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ŋɨə̆X/	/ŋɨan/
Li Rong	/ŋiɔX/	/ŋiɐn/
Wang Li	/ŋĭoX/	/ŋĭɐn/
Bernard Karlgren	/ŋi̯woX/	/ŋɨ̯ɐn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yǔ	yán
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jyu5	jin4

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*ŋ(r)aʔ  ŋa[n]/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ŋaʔ  ŋan/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	語	言
Reading #	1/2	3/4
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	yǔ	yán
Middle Chinese	‹ ngjoX ›	‹ ngjon ›
Old Chinese	/*ŋ(r)aʔ/	/*ŋa[n]/
English	speak	speak; speech
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	語	言
Reading #	1/2	1/1
No.	13159	14271
Phonetic component	五	言
Rime group	魚	元
Rime subdivision	0	1
Corresponding MC rime	語	言
Old Chinese	/*ŋaʔ/	/*ŋan/

Noun

語言

1. (countable, uncountable) language (Classifier: 種／种; 門／门 m)

   羅曼語言／罗曼语言  ―  luómàn yǔyán  ―  Romance language

   少數族群語言／少数族群语言  ―  shǎoshù zúqún yǔyán  ―  minority language

   授課語言／授课语言  ―  shòukè yǔyán  ―  medium of instruction

   瀕危語言／濒危语言  ―  bīnwēi yǔyán  ―  endangered language

   語言慣例／语言惯例  ―  yǔyán guànlì  ―  linguistic convention

   語言能力很強／语言能力很强  ―  yǔyán nénglì hěn qiáng  ―  to have a strong capacity for language

   你會說哪些語言？／你会说哪些语言？  ―  Nǐ huì shuō nǎ xiē yǔyán?  ―  What languages do you speak?

   法語是一門美麗的語言。 [MSC, trad.]
   法语是一门美丽的语言。 [MSC, simp.]

   Fǎyǔ shì yīmén měilì de yǔyán. [Pinyin]

   French is a beautiful language.

2. speech; spoken language
3. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) written language
4. (literary) sound of a bird
5. (literary) conversation

Usage notes

• Denotes spoken language when used parallel with 文字 (wénzì, “writing”).

Synonyms

• (speech):

edit

口舌 (kǒushé) 腔 (qiāng) (literary, or in compounds) 說的話／说的话 (shuō de huà)

言語／言语 (yányǔ) 話／话 (huà) 話語／话语 (huàyǔ)

Derived terms

Derived terms from 語言

人工語言／人工语言 (réngōng yǔyán) 低級語言／低级语言 元語言／元语言 (yuányǔyán) 共同語言／共同语言 (gòngtóng yǔyán) 匯編語言／汇编语言 古典語言／古典语言 (gǔdiǎn yǔyán) 多語言／多语言 (duōyǔyán) 孤立語言／孤立语言 (gūlì yǔyán) 官方語言／官方语言 (guānfāng yǔyán) 形而上語言／形而上语言 (xíng'érshàng yǔyán) 文學語言／文学语言 (wénxué yǔyán) 標記語言／标记语言 (biāojì yǔyán) 機器語言／机器语言 (jīqì yǔyán) 死語言／死语言 (sǐyǔyán) 滅絕語言／灭绝语言 (mièjué yǔyán) 第二語言／第二语言 (dì'èr yǔyán)

組合語言／组合语言 (zǔhé yǔyán) 網絡語言／网络语言 (wǎngluò yǔyán) 肢體語言／肢体语言 (zhītǐ yǔyán) 腳本語言／脚本语言 (jiǎoběn yǔyán) 自然語言／自然语言 (zìrán yǔyán) 計算機語言／计算机语言 (jìsuànjī yǔyán) 語言交換／语言交换 (yǔyán jiāohuàn) 語言交流／语言交流 (yǔyán jiāoliú) 語言學／语言学 (yǔyánxué) 語言接觸／语言接触 (yǔyán jiēchù) 語言聯盟／语言联盟 (yǔyán liánméng) 語言藝術／语言艺术 (yǔyán yìshù) 語言關／语言关 (yǔyánguān) 身體語言／身体语言 (shēntǐ yǔyán) 高級語言／高级语言 (gāojí yǔyán)

See also

• 書寫系統／书写系统 (shūxiě xìtǒng)
• 文學／文学 (wénxué)
• 文字 (wénzì)
• 語文／语文 (yǔwén)

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yùyán

  (Zhuyin): ㄩˋ ㄧㄢˊ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yùyán
    • Zhuyin: ㄩˋ ㄧㄢˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yùyán
    • Wade–Giles: yü⁴-yen²
    • Yale: yù-yán
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yuhyan
    • Palladius: юйянь (jujjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /y⁵¹ jɛn³⁵/
    • Homophones:

      [Show/Hide]
      edit edit 寓言 預言／预言 浴鹽／浴盐

---

• Middle Chinese: /ŋɨʌ^H  ŋɨɐn/

Rime
Character	語	言
Reading #	2/2	1/1
Initial (聲)	疑 (31)	疑 (31)
Final (韻)	魚 (22)	元 (65)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	牛倨切	語軒切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ŋɨʌH/	/ŋɨɐn/
Pan Wuyun	/ŋiɔH/	/ŋiɐn/
Shao Rongfen	/ŋiɔH/	/ŋiɐn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ŋɨə̆H/	/ŋɨan/
Li Rong	/ŋiɔH/	/ŋiɐn/
Wang Li	/ŋĭoH/	/ŋĭɐn/
Bernard Karlgren	/ŋi̯woH/	/ŋɨ̯ɐn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yù	yán
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jyu6	jin4

Verb

語言

1. (literary) to tell

Further reading

• “Entry #10867”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (in Chinese and Min Nan), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2011.