Meaning
讲 is a common verb meaning to speak, tell, or explain something. It emphasizes the act of conveying information or telling a story, often in a structured or educational way. Unlike 说 (shuō), which is more general for 'to say,' 讲 carries a stronger sense of explanation or narration.
Usage
Native speakers use 讲 when talking about explaining concepts, telling stories, or giving lectures. It's commonly paired with specific topics (讲故事 'tell a story,' 讲课 'give a lecture'). In some dialects, particularly Southern Mandarin varieties, 讲 is used more broadly where Standard Mandarin might prefer 说.
Examples
- 01老师在讲语法。.The teacher is explaining grammar.
- 02你能给我讲讲这个故事吗？?Can you tell me this story?
Common collocations
- 讲话to speak, to make a speech
- 讲故事to tell a story
- 讲课to give a lesson, to lecture
- 讲道理to reason, to be reasonable
Antonyms
Origin
The traditional form 講 combines the speech radical 言 (speech) with 冓 (a phonetic component). The simplified form 讲 retains 讠(speech radical) but simplifies the right side.