讲
to speak; to tell; to explain
jiǎng
What does 讲 mean?
讲 (jiǎng) means 'to speak, to tell, to explain.' It overlaps with 说 (shuō, 'to say') but carries a more deliberate, structured feeling — you 讲 something to teach, narrate, or unpack it. A teacher 讲课 (gives a lesson), a parent 讲故事 (tells a story), a friend 讲道理 (reasons something out).
Three useful distinctions: first, 讲 implies the speaker is giving an account that the listener will absorb — narration or explanation rather than quick exchange; second, 讲 can also mean 'to value, to pay attention to' in fixed expressions like 讲卫生 ('be hygienic'), 讲面子 ('care about face'), 讲信用 ('keep one's word'); third, as a regional verb it functions as the local word for 'speak' in much of southern China (讲粤语 'speak Cantonese,' 讲普通话 'speak Mandarin'). For everyday 'say,' default to 说
Character breakdown
to speak; to explain; to value
Memory hook: The 讠 (speech) radical signals talking; think of 讲 as the 'deliberate, structured' speaking — the kind a teacher does.
Example sentences
妈妈给我讲故事。
Māma gěi wǒ jiǎng gùshi.
Mom tells me a story.
spoken
老师讲得很清楚。
Lǎoshī jiǎng de hěn qīngchu.
The teacher explains very clearly.
neutral
你会讲中文吗？
Nǐ huì jiǎng zhōngwén ma?
Can you speak Chinese?
spoken
请你再讲一次。
Qǐng nǐ zài jiǎng yīcì.
Please explain it one more time.
neutral, polite
Common phrases with 讲
Synonyms
Don't confuse 讲 with
FAQ
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