Usage of the character 話

dialect
language
spoken words
speech
talk
words
conversation
what sb said
CL:種／种 (zhǒng),席 (xí),句 (jù),口 (kǒu),番 (fān)

shīhuà

诗话

[詩話]

notes on poetry, an essay genre consisting of informal commentary on poems and poets and their lives (old)
a genre of narrative literature interspersing prose with poetry, popular in the Tang and Song dynasties

guàihuà

怪话

[怪話]

ridiculous talk
preposterous remark

guānhuà

官话

[官話]

"officialese"
bureaucratic language
Mandarin

huíhuà

回话

[回話]

to reply

zhíhuà

直话

[直話]

straight talk
straightforward words

fànghuà

放话

[放話]

to give orders
to spread news or rumors
to leak certain information intentionally

huàbié

话别

[話別]

to say a few parting words; to bid goodbye

huàméi

话梅

[話梅]

plum candy
preserved plum

pínghuà

评话

[評話]

storytelling dramatic art dating back to Song and Yuan periods, single narrator without music, often historical topics with commentary

chuánhuà

传话

[傳話]

to pass on a story
to communicate a message

cūhuà

粗话

[粗話]

vulgar language; coarse language

lāhuà

拉话

[拉話]

(dialect) to chat

kōnghuà

空话

[空話]

empty talk
bunk
malicious gossip

hūnhuà

荤话

[葷話]

obscene speech; crude language

sǎnhuà

散话

[散話]

digression

diànhuà

电话

[電話]

telephone
CL:部 (bù)
phone call
CL:通 (tōng)
phone number

xiàohua

笑话

[笑話]

joke; jest (CL:個／个 (gè))
to laugh at; to mock
ridiculous; absurd

huìhuà

会话

[會話]

(language learning) conversation
dialog
to converse (in a non-native language)
(computing) session
CL:個／个 (gè),次 (cì)

shénhuà

神话

[神話]

legend
fairy tale
myth
mythology

chāhuà

插话

[插話]

to interrupt (sb speaking)
interruption
digression

xùnhuà

训话

[訓話]

to admonish subordinates

fèihuà

费话

[費話]

to talk at length
to waste one's breath
variant of 廢話／废话 (fèihuà)

sāohuà

骚话

[騷話]

obscenities
lewd talk

súhuà

俗话

[俗話]

common saying
proverb

jiǎhuà

假话

[假話]

a lie
untrue statement
misstatement

lěnghuà

冷话

[冷話]

harsh words
sarcasm
bitter remarks

huàkǎ

话卡

[話卡]

calling card (telephone)

huàběn

话本

[話本]

Song and Yuan literary form based on vernacular folk stories

yìhuà

逸话

[逸話]

rumor
anecdote (not in the official record)
apocryphal story

húhuà

胡话

[胡話]

nonsense
ridiculous talk
hogwash

tónghuà

童话

[童話]

children's fairy tales

huàjiù

话旧

[話舊]

to reminisce

fēnghuà

疯话

[瘋話]

crazy talk
ravings
nonsense

liúhuà

留话

[留話]

to leave word
to leave a message

huàshuō

话说

[話說]

It is said that ... (at the start of a narrative)
to discuss; to recount

huàtóu

话头

[話頭]

subject (under discussion)
thread (of an argument)

huàyǔ

话语

[話語]

words
speech
utterance
discourse

tōnghuà

通话

[通話]

to hold a conversation
to talk over the telephone
phone call

chénghuà

成话

[成話]

to make sense

chǒuhuà

丑话

[醜話]

ugly talk
vulgarity
obscenity

dáhuà

答话

[答話]

to reply
to answer

huàbǐng

话柄

[話柄]

a pretext for gossip
a matter for derision

tánhuà

谈话

[談話]

to talk (with sb)
to have a conversation
talk
conversation
CL:次 (cì)

terms of endearment
words of love

dehuà

的话

[的話]

if (coming after a conditional clause)

lǎohuà

老话

[老話]

an old saying

hánghuà

行话

[行話]

jargon
language of the trade

gònghuà

共话

[共話]

to discuss together

tàohuà

套话

[套話]

polite phrase; conventional greetings
cliché
to try to worm facts out of sb

huàtǒng

话筒

[話筒]

microphone
(telephone) receiver; handset
megaphone
(fig.) mouthpiece; spokesperson

fǎnhuà

反话

[反話]

irony
ironic remark

jiǎnghuà

讲话

[講話]

a speech
to speak
to talk
to address
CL:個／个 (gè)

huàtí

话题

[話題]

subject (of a talk or conversation)
topic

èrhuà

二话

[二話]

objection
differing opinion

shuōhuà

说话

[說話]

to speak
to say
to talk
to gossip
to tell stories
talk
word

tǔhuà

土话

[土話]

vernacular
slang
dialect
patois

guǐhuà

鬼话

[鬼話]

lie
false words
nonsense
CL:篇 (piān)

huàláo

话痨

[話癆]

chatterer

qìhuà

气话

[氣話]

angry words
sth said in the moment of anger

dāhuà

搭话

[搭話]

to talk
to get into conversation with
to send word

hǎnhuà

喊话

[喊話]

to speak using a loud voice or megaphone etc
(fig.) to convey a strong message

shíhuà

实话

[實話]

truth

hòuhuà

后话

[後話]

something to be taken up later in speech or writing

pìhuà

屁话

[屁話]

bullshit; nonsense

huàshù

话术

[話術]

manipulative talk
(sales) patter
CL:套 (tào)

suànhuà

算话

[算話]

(of sb's words) to count
can be trusted

huàtíng

话亭

[話亭]

telephone booth

xiànghuà

象话

[象話]

variant of 像話／像话 (xiànghuà)

jiāhuà

佳话

[佳話]

story or deed that captures the imagination and is spread far and wide

huàchá

话茬

[話茬]

tone of voice
topic
subject under discussion

duìhuà

对话

[對話]

to talk (with sb)
dialogue; conversation

tīnghuà

听话

[聽話]

to do what one is told
obedient

wánhuà

玩话

[玩話]

playful talk
joking

hǎohuà

好话

[好話]

friendly advice
words spoken on sb's behalf
a good word
kind words
words that sound fine but are not followed up with actions

hēihuà

黑话

[黑話]

argot
bandits' secret jargon
malicious words

yánghuà

洋话

[洋話]

foreign language (esp. Western)

xiànghuà

像话

[像話]

proper; appropriate (mostly used in the negative or in a rhetorical question)

gànhuà

干话

[幹話]

(Tw) (slang) remark that sounds like it makes sense but is actually nonsense

cíhuà

词话

[詞話]

form of writing novels that comprise lots of poetry in the body of the text, popular in the Ming Dynasty

huàjù

话剧

[話劇]

stage play
modern drama
CL:臺／台 (tái),部 (bù)

zhònghuà

重话

[重話]

harsh words

zānghuà

脏话

[髒話]

profanity
obscene language
speaking rudely

pínghuà

平话

[平話]

storytelling dramatic art dating back to Song and Yuan periods, single narrator without music, often historical topics with commentary

huàyīn

话音

[話音]

one's speaking voice
tone
implication

huàfèi

话费

[話費]

call charge

huàfēng

话锋

[話鋒]

topic under discussion
thread of discussion

shǎhuà

傻话

[傻話]

foolish talk
nonsense

fèihuà

废话

[廢話]

nonsense; rubbish; superfluous words
You don't say!; No kidding! (gently sarcastic)

mènghuà

梦话

[夢話]

talking in one's sleep
words spoken during sleep
fig. speech bearing no relation to reality
delusions

xiánhuà

闲话

[閒話]

casual conversation
chat
gossip
to talk about (whatever comes to mind)

huàihuà

坏话

[壞話]

unpleasant talk
malicious words

wènhuà

问话

[問話]

questioning (a suspect)
interrogation

báihuà

白话

[白話]

spoken language
vernacular

yáodiànhuà

摇电话

[搖電話]

(old) to make a phone call

shuōxiánhuà

说闲话

[說閒話]

to chat
to gossip

Mǐnnánhuà

闽南话

[閩南話]

Southern Min, a family of Sinitic languages spoken in southern Fujian and surrounding areas
Hokkien, major variety of Southern Min

bùhuàjī

步话机

[步話機]

walkie-talkie

chuánhuàrén

传话人

[傳話人]

messenger
communicator
relay

cháhuàhuì

茶话会

[茶話會]

tea party

Běijīnghuà

北京话

[北京話]

Beijing dialect

Guǎngdōnghuà

广东话

[廣東話]

Cantonese language

shuōfèihuà

说废话

[說廢話]

to talk nonsense
to bullshit

diànhuàbù

电话簿

[電話簿]

telephone directory

pǔtōnghuà

普通话

[普通話]

Mandarin (common language)
Putonghua (common speech of the Chinese language)
ordinary speech

bùxiànghuà

不象话

[不象話]

unreasonable
shocking; outrageous

guòtóuhuà

过头话

[過頭話]

exaggeration

Cháoshànhuà

潮汕话

[潮汕話]

Chaoshan or Teo-Swa, a Southern Min language spoken by the Teochew people of the Chaoshan region 潮汕 ( Cháoshàn)

kànxiàohua

看笑话

[看笑話]

to watch with amusement as sb makes a fool of himself

tōngdiànhuà

通电话

[通電話]

to phone sb up

duìhuàkuàng

对话框

[對話框]

dialog box (computing)

Táiwānhuà

台湾话

[台灣話]

Taiwanese Chinese (language)

kètàohuà

客套话

[客套話]

conventional greeting; polite formula

huàyǔquán

话语权

[話語權]

ability to have one's say and be listened to; influence; clout

Sūzhōuhuà

苏州话

[蘇州話]

Suzhou dialect, one of the main Wu dialects 吳語／吴语 ( Wúyǔ)

fēngliánghuà

风凉话

[風涼話]

sneering
sarcasm
cynical remarks

cìrhuà

刺儿话

[刺兒話]

biting words
stinging words

dàhuàtóu

大话骰

[大話骰]

liar's dice (dice game)

jiāxiānghuà

家乡话

[家鄉話]

native language
native dialect

yīxíhuà

一席话

[一席話]

the content of a conversation
words
remarks

wàiguóhuà

外国话

[外國話]

foreign languages

diànhuàkǎ

电话卡

[電話卡]

telephone card

xīnlihuà

心里话

[心裡話]

(to express one's) true feelings
what is on one's mind
secret mind

diànhuàwǎng

电话网

[電話網]

telephone network

sàngqìhuà

丧气话

[喪氣話]

demoralizing talk

Shànghǎihuà

上海话

[上海話]

Shanghainese
Shanghai dialect

báihuàshī

白话诗

[白話詩]

free verse in the vernacular

nàhuàr

那话儿

[那話兒]

genitalia
doohickey
thingumbob

diànhuàběn

电话本

[電話本]

telephone contact notebook; address book

Zhōngguóhuà

中国话

[中國話]

(spoken) Chinese language

huàwùyuán

话务员

[話務員]

phone operator

yījùhuà

一句话

[一句話]

in a word; in short

Shādìhuà

沙地话

[沙地話]

see 啟海話／启海话 ( Qǐhǎihuà)

diànhuàtíng

电话亭

[電話亭]

telephone booth

lěngxiàohua

冷笑话

[冷笑話]

corny joke

Táishānhuà

台山话

[台山話]

Taishanese, a language of the Yue language group 粵語／粤语 ( Yuèyǔ) spoken in Jiangmen 江門／江门 ( Jiāngmén) and in the Chinatowns of North America

duìhuàkè

对话课

[對話課]

conversation class

hūnxiàohua

荤笑话

[葷笑話]

dirty jokes
jokes of a visceral nature

kèqihuà

客气话

[客氣話]

words of politeness
politesse
decorous talking
talk with propriety

Dōngyánghuà

东洋话

[東洋話]

Japanese (language) (old)

Diànhuà Mén

电话门

[電話門]

"Phone Gate", corruption scandal unearthed through telephone records

nàoxiàohua

闹笑话

[鬧笑話]

to make a fool of oneself

dàbáihuà

大白话

[大白話]

colloquial speech

Kèjiāhuà

客家话

[客家話]

Hakka dialect

shuōshíhuà

说实话

[說實話]

to speak the truth
truth to tell
frankly

bùshìhuà

不是话

[不是話]

see 不像話／不像话 (bùxiànghuà)

huàchár

话茬儿

[話茬兒]

erhua variant of 話茬／话茬 (huàchá)

bùxiànghuà

不像话

[不像話]

unreasonable
shocking
outrageous

huàxiázi

话匣子

[話匣子]

phonograph or radio (old term)
chatterbox
talkative person

bùchénghuà

不成话

[不成話]

see 不像話／不像话 (bùxiànghuà)

Qǐhǎihuà

启海话

[啟海話]

Qihai dialect, a Wu dialect spoken in Tongzhou, Haimen, and Qidong districts in southern Jiangsu province, and on Chongming Island in Shanghai

jiǎngxiánhuà

讲闲话

[講閒話]

to gossip
to make unfavorable comments

súhuàshuō

俗话说

[俗話說]

as the proverb says
as they say...

qiāoqiaohuà

悄悄话

[悄悄話]

whisperings
private words
confidences
sweet nothings

xiàohuar

笑话儿

[笑話兒]

erhua variant of 笑話／笑话 (xiàohua)

diànhuàjī

电话机

[電話機]

telephone set

dǎdiànhuà

打电话

[打電話]

to make a telephone call

xiūshìhuà

修饰话

[修飾話]

modifier (grammar)

xiànchénghuà

现成话

[現成話]

ready-made phrase
unhelpful comment

tíwàihuà

题外话

[題外話]

off-topic comment; digression

bàohuàjī

报话机

[報話機]

walkie-talkie
portable radio transmitter

báihuàwén

白话文

[白話文]

writings in the vernacular

hǎnhuàqì

喊话器

[喊話器]

megaphone

dǎguānhuà

打官话

[打官話]

to talk officiously
to assume the air of a functionary
to talk in official jargon

qiàopihuà

俏皮话

[俏皮話]

witticism
wisecrack
sarcastic remark
double entendre

diànhuàxiàn

电话线

[電話線]

telephone line
telephone wire

diànhuàlíngshēng

电话铃声

[電話鈴聲]

(telephone) ring
ringing

yǒuhuàkuàishuō

有话快说

[有話快說]

spit it out!

xiánhuàjiācháng

闲话家常

[閑話家常]

to chat about domestic trivia (idiom)

nǎrdehuà

哪儿的话

[哪兒的話]

(coll.) not at all (humble expression denying compliment)
don't mention it

diànhuàxìnhào

电话信号

[電話信號]

telephone signal

huàlǐtàohuà

话里套话

[話裡套話]

to use seemingly innocent conversation topics as a pretext to glean information
to touch upon other matters not central to the topic being discussed

chuánhūdiànhuà

传呼电话

[傳呼電話]

neighborhood telephone, with sb in charge of notifying others when they receive a call

bùzàihuàxià

不在话下

[不在話下]

to be nothing difficult
to be a cinch

yídòngdiànhuà

移动电话

[移動電話]

mobile telephone

gùdìngdiànhuà

固定电话

[固定電話]

landline telephone
fixed-line telephone

jīngshénxùnhuà

精神训话

[精神訓話]

pep talk

cǐhuàzěnjiǎng

此话怎讲

[此話怎講]

How do you mean?
How could that be the case?
How so?

huàshuōhuílai

话说回来

[話說回來]

(but) then again; (but) on the other hand

yǒuhuàyàoshuō

有话要说

[有話要說]

to speak one's mind

huàbùtóujī

话不投机

[話不投機]

(idiom) the conversation is disagreeable

kěshìdiànhuà

可视电话

[可視電話]

videophone

chángtúhuàfèi

长途话费

[長途話費]

long distance call charge

bāodiànhuàzhōu

煲电话粥

[煲電話粥]

to talk endlessly on the phone

huàdàozuǐbiān

话到嘴边

[話到嘴邊]

to be on the verge of saying what is on one's mind

chángtúdiànhuà

长途电话

[長途電話]

long-distance call

wúxiàndiànhuà

无线电话

[無線電話]

radio telephony
wireless telephone

shénhuàgùshi

神话故事

[神話故事]

mythical story; myth

fēngliújiāhuà

风流佳话

[風流佳話]

romance
romantic affair

shuōhuàsuànhuà

说话算话

[說話算話]

to do as promised
to be as good as one's word
to honor one's word
to mean what one says

diànhuàhuìyì

电话会议

[電話會議]

(telephone) conference call

huàzhōngyǒucì

话中有刺

[話中有刺]

one's words carry barbs
one's remarks are sarcastic

guójìdiànhuà

国际电话

[國際電話]

international call

tónghuàgùshì

童话故事

[童話故事]

fairy tale

shuōlǎoshihuà

说老实话

[說老實話]

to be honest
to tell the truth
to be frank

wúhuàbùshuō

无话不说

[無話不說]

(of close friends etc) to tell each other everything

duìjiǎngdiànhuà

对讲电话

[對講電話]

intercom

tǔwèiqínghuà

土味情话

[土味情話]

cheesy pick-up lines

chéngkòngdiànhuà

程控电话

[程控電話]

automatic telephone exchange

jùjùshíhuà

句句实话

[句句實話]

to speak honestly (idiom)

gōngyòngdiànhuà

公用电话

[公用電話]

public phone
CL:部 (bù)

mǎnkǒuzānghuà

满口脏话

[滿口髒話]

to pour out obscenities
filthy mouthed

xíngdòngdiànhuà

行动电话

[行動電話]

mobile phone (Tw)

huàduōbùtián

话多不甜

[話多不甜]

too much talk is a nuisance (idiom)

huàlǐyǒuhuà

话里有话

[話裡有話]

one's words carry an implicit meaning

shuōláihuàcháng

说来话长

[說來話長]

start explaining and it's a long story (idiom); complicated and not easy to express succinctly

huàsuīrúcǐ

话虽如此

[話雖如此]

be that as it may

wúhuàbùtán

无话不谈

[無話不談]

not to hold anything back (idiom)
(of close friends etc) to tell each other everything

liǎng'ànduìhuà

两岸对话

[兩岸對話]

bilateral talks

èrhuà-bùshuō

二话不说

[二話不說]

(idiom) not saying anything further; not raising any objection; without demur

wúhuàkěshuō

无话可说

[無話可說]

to have nothing to say (idiom)

guǐhuàliánpiān

鬼话连篇

[鬼話連篇]

to tell one lie after another (idiom)
to talk nonsense
bogus story

èrhuà-méishuō

二话没说

[二話沒說]

see 二話不說／二话不说 (èrhuà-bushuo)

fèihuàliánpiān

废话连篇

[廢話連篇]

a bunch of nonsense
verbose and rambling

diànhuàxiànlù

电话线路

[電話線路]

telephone line

bókèhuàjù

博客话剧

[博客話劇]

blog drama (netspeak)

shíhuàshíshuō

实话实说

[實話實說]

to tell the truth
to tell it as it is

chàngtánhuàkǎ

畅谈话卡

[暢談話卡]

long-term calling card (telephone)

shuōhuàsuànshù

说话算数

[說話算數]

to keep one's promise; to mean what one says

kōngkǒubáihuà

空口白话

[空口白話]

empty promises

huàzhōngyǒuhuà

话中有话

[話中有話]

one's words carry an implicit meaning

huànjùhuàshuō

换句话说

[換句話說]

in other words

diànhuàqūmǎ

电话区码

[電話區碼]

area code
telephone dialing code

chánghuàduǎnshuō

长话短说

[長話短說]

to make a long story short (idiom)

kōnghuàliánpiān

空话连篇

[空話連篇]

long-winded empty talk

diànhuàfúwù

电话服务

[電話服務]

telephone service

Jiāng Huáiguānhuà

江淮官话

[江淮官話]

Jianghuai Mandarin

gékōnghǎnhuà

隔空喊话

[隔空喊話]

to converse with sb by shouting from some distance away
(fig.) to say sth intended for the ears of sb who is not in one's presence (often, by making a public statement or by posting online)

diànhuàwǎnglù

电话网路

[電話網路]

telephone network

shuōfēngliánghuà

说风凉话

[說風涼話]

to sneer
to make cynical remarks
sarcastic talk

dǎkāihuàxiázi

打开话匣子

[打開話匣子]

to start talking

Jīn Píng Méi Cí Huà

金瓶梅词话

[金瓶梅詞話]

Jinpingmei or the Golden Lotus (1617), Ming dynasty vernacular novel, formerly notorious and banned for its sexual content

shuōhuàbùdànghuà

说话不当话

[說話不當話]

to fail to keep to one's word
to break a promise

zhēngyǎnshuōxiāhuà

睁眼说瞎话

[睜眼說瞎話]

(idiom) to lie through one's teeth; to talk drivel

shuōhuàyàosuànshù

说话要算数

[說話要算數]

promises must be kept

sùliàopǔtōnghuà

塑料普通话

[塑料普通話]

(coll.) Mandarin Chinese spoken with a thick regional accent

shuōbùchūhuàlái

说不出话来

[說不出話來]

speechless

kōngkǒushuōbáihuà

空口说白话

[空口說白話]

to make empty promises

huàyòushuōhuílai

话又说回来

[話又說回來]

(but) then again; (but) on the other hand

yídòngshìdiànhuà

移动式电话

[移動式電話]

mobile telephone

duìfāngfùkuǎndiànhuà

对方付款电话

[對方付款電話]

collect call

Zhēnxīnhuà Dà Màoxiǎn

真心话大冒险

[真心話大冒險]

The Moment of Truth (TV show)
Truth or Dare (game)

chǒuhuàshuōzàiqiántou

丑话说在前头

[醜話說在前頭]

let's talk about the unpleasant things first; let's be frank

duìfāngfùfèidiànhuà

对方付费电话

[對方付費電話]

collect call

huàdàozuǐbiānliúsānfēn

话到嘴边留三分

[話到嘴邊留三分]

A still tongue makes a wise head. (idiom)

zhēngzheyǎnjīngshuōxiāhuà

睁着眼睛说瞎话

[睜著眼睛說瞎話]

(idiom) to lie through one's teeth; to talk drivel

Abǐxīníyà Guānhuà

阿比西尼亚官话

[阿比西尼亞官話]

Amharic (language)

zhànzheshuōhuàbùyāoténg

站着说话不腰疼

[站著說話不腰疼]

lit. it's all very well to talk, but getting things done is another matter (idiom)
fig. to be an armchair expert; to blabber on

sānjùhuàbùlíběnháng

三句话不离本行

[三句話不離本行]

to talk shop all the time (idiom)

gōngyòngjiāohuàndiànhuàwǎng

公用交换电话网

[公用交換電話網]

public switched telephone network
PSTN

dǎkāitiānchuāngshuōliànghuà

打开天窗说亮话

[打開天窗說亮話]

(let's) not mince words; (let's) not beat about the bush

huàbùtóujībànjùduō

话不投机半句多

[話不投機半句多]

(idiom) when views are irreconcilable, it's a waste of breath to continue discussion

Pǔtōnghuà Shuǐpíng Cèshì

普通话水平测试

[普通話水平測試]

Putonghua Proficiency Test, an official test of spoken fluency in Standard Chinese for native speakers of Chinese languages, developed in the PRC in 1994

yījiārénbùshuōliǎngjiāhuà

一家人不说两家话

[一家人不說兩家話]

lit. family members speak frankly with one another, not courteously, as if they were from two different families (idiom)
fig. people don't need to be deferential when they ask a family member for help
people from the same family should stick together (and good friends likewise)

Měiguó Diànhuà Diànbào Gōngsī

美国电话电报公司

[美國電話電報公司]