曰 yuē to speak
How it came to be
指事 · Indicative
A sign that points at an idea, often a mark added to a simple drawing.
The oldest form is a mouth with a short stroke for the words or breath coming out.
用法
- Classical Chinese 'to say': 子曰 (zǐ yuē) 'the Master said', 名曰 (míng yuē) 'named'.
- Purely literary/quotational; modern spoken 'say' is 说 (shuō). Recognize it, don't produce it in ordinary writing.