start speaking; open one's mouth
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesverb
to start speaking; to open one's mouth; to break silence
Often implies being the first to speak in a group or breaking a silence. Slightly more informal and colloquial than '发言' (to speak/make a statement).
Dà大
jiā家
dōu都
hái还
méi没
shuō说
huà话
，
tā他
xiān先
kāi开
le了
qiāng腔
。
Everyone else was still silent, but he was the first to open his mouth.
Tā他
děng等
le了
bàn半
tiān天
cái才
kāi开
qiāng腔
。
He waited for a long time before he finally started to speak.
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Huì会
shàng上
，
lǐng领
dǎo导
yī一
kāi开
qiāng腔
，
dà大
jiā家
dōu就
ān都
jìng安
le静
了
。
At the meeting, as soon as the leader started to speak, everyone fell silent.
Nǐ你
yào要
shì是
bù不
kāi开
qiāng腔
，
bié别
rén人
zěn怎
me么
zhī知
dào道
nǐ你
de的
xiǎng想
fǎ法
？
If you don't speak up, how will others know what you're thinking?