Every Chinese character has a story
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话

话 (huà) Chinese Character: speech; words; sentence

8 strokes · HSK 1 · Radical 讠

讠 signals speech; the whole character gives you words and sentences.

Practice 话 in the interactive lesson

Chinese character story: Turning Thought into Speech

话 (huà) can mean spoken words, a sentence, or speech in general. Use 说话 for the action “to speak,” 一句话 for “one sentence,” and 电话 for “telephone.” The left component 讠 works much like a meaning clue or English root: it tells you the character belongs to language and speech. The right side mainly helps with sound, so do not read the modern character as a literal picture of a tongue talking.

🧩 Word buildingSee what every part contributes

Chinese words often combine short meaning clues. Fixed expressions are clearly marked so you do not translate them too literally.

说话
说speak话words=speak or talk
电话
电electric话speech=telephone or phone call

Chinese character origin and etymology

话 is simplified from 話 and is analyzed as a sound-and-meaning character. 讠, from 言, marks the speech category, while 舌 supplies the pronunciation clue.

The speech component 讠 stands on the left, while 舌 fills the right side. 话 contains 讠 and 舌. These parts act like clues: a component may suggest a meaning category, a pronunciation, or simply preserve part of the character's historical structure.

话 in bronze script
Bronze script
话 in seal script
Seal script

Chinese character stroke order and structure

话 is written with 8 strokes. Learn the complete stroke sequence in the interactive lesson, then write the character from memory before checking your answer.

  • 讠 — speech — marks the language and speaking category
  • 舌 — phonetic clue — helps indicate the historical pronunciation

Common usage and sentence patterns

The examples below show 话 in complete beginner-friendly sentences. Read each sentence aloud, notice where the character appears, and then replace one noun or number to create a new sentence of your own.

他说了一句话。 Tā shuō le yí jù huà. He said a sentence.
请听我说话。 Qǐng tīng wǒ shuōhuà. Please listen to me speak.
这句话很重要。 Zhè jù huà hěn zhòngyào. This sentence is important.

Learning tips for 话

Learn the reading as one unit: huà, with the fourth tone: a sharp fall. Avoid memorizing the letters without the tone mark. Say the syllable, recall the English meaning “speech; words; sentence,” and write the 8 strokes from memory.

Because 话 contains reusable components, identify those clues before memorizing the whole shape. Compare it with 说 (shuō, to say; speak); 听 (tīng, to listen; hear); 口 (kǒu, mouth). Similar characters are easier to remember when their different parts and meanings are studied side by side.

Quick review checklist

  • Can you recognize 话 without pinyin?
  • Can you say huà with the correct tone and explain “speech; words; sentence”?
  • Can you write all 8 strokes in order?
  • Can you use 话 in one short sentence?

Related characters

Continue learning Chinese characters

Use the Chinese radicals and components guide to understand reusable parts, the stroke order guide to improve handwriting, and the HSK 1 character overview to choose your next beginner lesson.

Sources and editorial note

HanziStory separates documented character history from modern memory stories. Historical-form images are shown only when a matching source file is available; missing stages are skipped rather than invented. Stroke practice uses HanziWriter data.

Last updated: August 12, 2026. Read our sources, editorial method, and correction policy.