言

Tap the pinyin to hear it

words; speech; to say; to talk

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Ideographic compound (会意字)

A tongue sticking out of a mouth 口

Components 亠二口

say · Heisig RSH #346

二 two + 口 mouth + top hat — as a component also called: words

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
言行不一	yán xíng bù yī	(idiom) to say one thing and do another
一言一动	yī yán yī dòng	(one's) every word and deed (idiom)
一言一行	yī yán yī xíng	every word and action (idiom)
一言不发	yī yán bù fā	to not say a word (idiom)
一言不合	yī yán bù hé	(idiom) to have a disagreement (typically leading to a quarrel or fight)
不言不语	bù yán bù yǔ	to not say a word (idiom); to keep silent
发言人	fā yán rén	spokesperson
语言学家	yǔ yán xué jiā	linguist
不言自明	bù yán zì míng	self-evident; needing no explanation (idiom)
自言自语	zì yán zì yǔ	(idiom) to talk to oneself; to think aloud; to soliloquize
言之无物	yán zhī wú wù	(of a writing etc) to have no substance (idiom); to carry no weight
大言	dà yán	to exaggerate; to boast
言之有物	yán zhī yǒu wù	(of one's words) to have substance
一言	yī yán	one sentence; brief remark
言中	yán zhòng	to have one's words prove to be prophetic
语言学	yǔ yán xué	linguistics
无言	wú yán	to remain silent; to have nothing to say
自言	zì yán	to say (sth that relates to oneself)
文言文	wén yán wén	Classical Chinese writing
言行	yán xíng	words and actions; what one says and what one does

These characters use 言 as their sound component — compare how they read.