言 (yán) — Speech in Mandarin
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#1184 most common word
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
言 is pronounced yán. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Yán wéi xīnshēng.
Speech reflects what's in the heart.
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 言 mean?+
言 (yán) means "Speech" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 言?+
言 is pronounced yán. It uses the tone 2 (rising). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 言 in Mandarin?+
言 is the #1184 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.