How to say “foreign language” in Chinese
foreign language
“Foreign language” in Chinese is 外语, wài yǔ: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
外语 is read wài yǔ: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
On the left, 讠 “speech”.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “外语”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 外语. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 你会说几种外语？nǐhuìshuōjǐzhǒngwàiyǔHow many foreign languages do you speak?
- 学外语不容易xuéwàiyǔbùróngyìLearning a foreign language isn't easy.
- 学外语，首先要多听，其次要多说。xuéwàiyǔ,shǒuxiānyàoduōtīng,qícìyàoduōshuōTo learn a foreign language, firstly you need to listen a lot, and secondly to speak a lot.
- 学外语，什么最重要？xuéwàiyǔ,shénmezuìzhòngyàoWhat's most important when learning a foreign language?
- 我在外语学院学习wǒzàiwàiyǔxuéyuànxuéxíI study at the School of Foreign Languages.
- 会说外语对找工作很有利。huìshuōwàiyǔduìzhǎogōngzuòhěnyǒulìSpeaking a foreign language is a big plus when looking for a job.
More words from the lesson “Studying abroad”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “foreign language” in Chinese?
“Foreign language” in Chinese is 外语, pinyin wàiyǔ.
What does 外语 mean?
外语 (wàiyǔ) means “foreign language”.
How do you write 外语?
外语 is 2 characters: 外 (wài) — outside; 语 (yǔ) — language, speech. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 外语?
外语 is read wàiyǔ. Tones: wài — fourth tone, yǔ — third tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“foreign language” in the lesson “Studying abroad”
This word is from the topic “Studying” of HSK 3. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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