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英语 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
英语yīngyǔEnglish (language)HSK 2, unknown, 17 strokes, rank #2112, Easy
yīngyǔ(Ying1yu3)ying yu T1
  1. 1English (language)
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March 24, 2026

英语(英語)yīngyǔ(Ying1yu3)

英语 (Yīngyǔ) refers to the English language, primarily spoken in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. This term is commonly used in educational contexts, particularly when discussing language studies or international communication.

Strokes17Frequency#2112DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note

In China, learning 英语 is often seen as essential for career advancement and international relations, highlighting the language's role in globalization.

Memory Tip

Think of 英 (Yīng) as 'hero' or 'outstanding', which can remind you that English is often viewed as a global language of prominence. The character 语 (yǔ) means 'language' or 'speech', so together they depict the 'outstanding language' we know as English.

Meanings of 英语

yīngyǔ(Ying1yu3)
1English (language)
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 英语

英语Simplified
英語Traditional
17Strokes
—Radical
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L2ElementaryTOCFLL2HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 英语

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Podcast: 英语

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AI Study Notes for 英语

Quick Contrast

汉语 (Hànyǔ) refers to the Chinese language, while 英语 (Yīngyǔ) specifically denotes the English language; use 汉语 when discussing Chinese language topics.

Usage Notes

A common mistake is to confuse 英语 with 英文 (Yīngwén), which refers specifically to written English. In informal settings, you might hear people simply say '英语' to refer to both speaking and writing in English, but in academic contexts, be precise about which form you mean.

HSK Study Tips

While 英语 is not explicitly in the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects to the theme of language learning present in HSK levels 1-6. Students should focus on pronunciation and usage in sentences related to language studies.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly say '我会英语' (Wǒ huì Yīngyǔ) when they mean 'I speak English', but it’s more accurate to use '我说英语' (Wǒ shuō Yīngyǔ) for clarity.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 英语

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Jason looks at what you watch and listen to, the checkpoints you have cleared, our lessons and what you have been exploring, and explains 英语 through them.

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How Well Do You Know 英语?

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Learning Lab

Knowing 英语 is seven skills, not one.

Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.

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Component Characters

英YīngUnited Kingdom
8 strokes艹
View full entry
语yǔdialect
HSK 79 strokes讠
View full entry

How to say English (language) in Chinese

“English (language)” in Chinese is英语yīngyǔ

英语 (Yīngyǔ) refers to the English language, primarily spoken in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. This term is commonly used in educational contexts, particularly when discussing language studies or international communication.

When to use 英语

A common mistake is to confuse 英语 with 英文 (Yīngwén), which refers specifically to written English. In informal settings, you might hear people simply say '英语' to refer to both speaking and writing in English, but in academic contexts, be precise about which form you mean.

英语 or something close to it

汉语 (Hànyǔ) refers to the Chinese language, while 英语 (Yīngyǔ) specifically denotes the English language; use 汉语 when discussing Chinese language topics.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly say '我会英语' (Wǒ huì Yīngyǔ) when they mean 'I speak English', but it’s more accurate to use '我说英语' (Wǒ shuō Yīngyǔ) for clarity.

Write 英语

英
语

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Frequently Asked Questions about 英语

Yes, 英语 encompasses both the spoken and written forms of the language.

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