verb HSK 4
Traditional 講述
jiǎng shù
to narrate · to tell · to recount · to relate (a story)

Meaning

讲述 means to tell or narrate something, typically a story, experience, or sequence of events in a structured way. It's more formal than simply 说 (shuō, 'to say') and implies a detailed recounting or explanation of events, often with narrative structure.

Usage

讲述 is commonly used in written language, literature, news reports, and formal speech when someone is recounting a story, experience, or historical event. It's often paired with objects like 故事 (gùshi, story), 经历 (jīnglì, experience), or 历史 (lìshǐ, history). Native speakers use it when they want to emphasize the act of storytelling or detailed explanation rather than casual conversation.

Examples

  1. 01
    这部电影讲述了一个感人的爱情故事。
    Zhè diàn yǐng jiǎng shù le gǎn rén de ài qíng shi.
    This film tells a touching love story.
  2. 02
    老人给我们讲述了他年轻时的经历。
    Lǎo rén gěi men jiǎng shù le nián qīng shí de jīng .
    The old man recounted to us his experiences from when he was young.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 讲述故事
    jiǎng shù shi
    to tell a story
  • 讲述经历
    jiǎng shù jīng
    to recount an experience
  • 讲述历史
    jiǎng shù shǐ
    to relate history
  • 详细讲述
    xiáng jiǎng shù
    to narrate in detail

Antonyms

Origin

Both characters relate to verbal expression: 讲 (jiǎng) contains the speech radical 讠and means 'to speak/explain,' while 述 (shù) originally depicted following a path, later extended to mean 'relating' or 'narrating' a sequence of events.

Related