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謂 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; meaningx, 16 strokes, radical 言, rank #86171, Very Hard
wèi(wei4) T4
  1. 1to call, to say, to tell; name, title; meaning
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March 24, 2026

謂wèi(wei4)

The character 謂 (wèi) primarily means 'to say' or 'to call.' It is often used in formal contexts, particularly in literature and philosophy, to indicate how something is named or referred to. Additionally, it can denote the meaning or significance attributed to a term or concept.

Strokes16Radical言Frequency#86171DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese literature, the use of 謂 can often be seen in classical texts, where authors explore philosophical concepts through the significance of names and titles, reflecting the importance of language in shaping thought.

Memory Tip

Imagine a wise sage (representing the sound 'wèi') who calls out names and tells stories that hold deep meanings. The character 謂 includes the speech radical 言, emphasizing the act of speaking or saying, while the component 位 suggests a position, highlighting how words can define roles or meanings.

Meanings of 謂

wèi(wei4)
1to call, to say, to tell; name, title; meaning
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 謂

謂Simplified
16Strokes
言Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

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Podcast: 謂

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AI Study Notes for 謂

Usage Notes

While 謂 is used in formal writing, avoid using it in casual conversation as it may sound overly sophisticated. Be careful with its tone; it is pronounced with a falling tone (wèi), which can be confused with other similar-sounding words. Common collocations include 謂之 (wèi zhī), meaning 'to call it' or 'to refer to it as.'

HSK Study Tips

Although 謂 is not included in the HSK levels, it connects to higher-level vocabulary related to language and expression. Focus on its usage in written contexts and its relationship to synonyms such as 说 (shuō) and 告诉 (gàosù), which are more commonly used in everyday speech.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 謂 with 说 (shuō) due to their similar meanings, mistakenly using 謂 in casual conversations. For instance, saying 謂我觉得 (wèi wǒ juédé) instead of 说我觉得 (shuō wǒ juédé) is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 謂

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Etymology of 謂

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 胃 represents the sound. Simplified form of 謂.

Memory Hint

speech

Semantic (meaning)言
+
Phonetic (sound)胃
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

謂 = 言 + 胃. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 謂

IDS Structure⿰言胃
謂Full Character
=
言yan2
left
胃wei4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 謂?

How to say to call, to say, to tell; name, title; meaning in Chinese

“to call, to say, to tell; name, title; meaning” in Chinese is謂wèi

The character 謂 (wèi) primarily means 'to say' or 'to call.' It is often used in formal contexts, particularly in literature and philosophy, to indicate how something is named or referred to. Additionally, it can denote the meaning or significance attributed to a term or concept.

When to use 謂

While 謂 is used in formal writing, avoid using it in casual conversation as it may sound overly sophisticated. Be careful with its tone; it is pronounced with a falling tone (wèi), which can be confused with other similar-sounding words. Common collocations include 謂之 (wèi zhī), meaning 'to call it' or 'to refer to it as.'

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 謂 with 说 (shuō) due to their similar meanings, mistakenly using 謂 in casual conversations. For instance, saying 謂我觉得 (wèi wǒ juédé) instead of 说我觉得 (shuō wǒ juédé) is incorrect.

Write 謂

謂

Practice writing 謂 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 謂

Words Containing This Character10
所谓suǒwèiso-called所謂
无所谓wúsuǒwèito be indifferent無所謂
可谓kěwèiit could even be said可謂
谓wèito speak謂
无谓pointless無謂
称谓title稱謂
何谓(literary) what is?何謂
谓语(grammatical) predicate謂語
谓词predicate (in logic and grammar)謂詞
意谓to mean意謂
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 謂

What does 所谓 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 謂

You can say 謂我所知 (wèi wǒ suǒ zhī) which means 'to say according to what I know.'

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