speak

S0611000 (spēk)v. spoke (spōk), spo·ken (spō′kən), speak·ing, speaks v.intr.1. To produce words by means of sounds; talk: Can the baby speak yet?2. a. To express thoughts or feelings to convey information in speech or writing: He spoke of his desire to travel. In her poem she speaks about loss.b. To convey information or ideas in text: Their book speaks about adopting children.3. a. To engage in conversation: Can we speak for a few minutes about the assignment?b. To be friendly or willing to communicate; be on speaking terms: They are no longer speaking.4. To deliver an address or lecture: The mayor spoke at the rally.5. a. To act as spokesperson: I speak for the entire staff.b. To convey information through another person: The family spoke to the media through their trusted adviser.6. a. To convey a message by nonverbal means: Actions speak louder than words.b. To give an indication or suggestion: His manners spoke of good upbringing.c. To be appealing: His poetry speaks to one's heart.7. To make a reservation or request. Used with for: Has anyone spoken for the last piece of pizza?8. a. To produce a characteristic sound: The drums spoke.b. To give off a sound on firing. Used of guns or cannon.v.tr.1. To say with the voice; pronounce or utter: She spoke the words with a French accent.2. To converse in or be able to converse in (a language): speaks German.3. To express in words; tell: speak the truth.4. Nautical To hail and communicate with (another vessel) at sea.5. To convey by nonverbal means: His eyes spoke volumes.Phrasal Verbs: speak out To talk freely and fearlessly, as about a public issue. speak up1. To speak loud enough to be audible.2. To speak without fear or hesitation.Idioms: so to speak Used to call attention to a choice of words, and especially to the metaphoric or expressive nature of a word or phrase: can't see the forest for the trees, so to speak. speak down to To speak condescendingly to: She never spoke down to her audience. spoken for Reserved or requested: Is that seat spoken for? to speak of Worthy of mention: There's nothing new to speak of.

[Middle English speken, from Old English sprecan, specan.]

speak′a·ble adj.Synonyms: speak, talk, converse¹, discourse
These verbs mean to express one's thoughts by uttering words. Speak and talk, often interchangeable, are the most general: "On an occasion of this kind it becomes more than a moral duty to speak one's mind. It becomes a pleasure" (Oscar Wilde)."If you want to talk about human experience, then let's talk about it" (Deborah Eisenberg).
Converse stresses interchange of thoughts and ideas: "With thee conversing I forget all time" (John Milton).
Discourse usually refers to formal, extended speech: "When there was nothing to say, he discoursed on the nature of silence" (Stacy Schiff).Word History: Because English is a Germanic language, first-year German produces many moments of recognition for English speakers and several puzzles. For example, when we learn the verb sprechen, "to speak," and the noun Sprache, "speech, language," we wonder whether we lost the r or the Germans put one in. Sounds are more often lost than added in language change, and this is the case here. In Old English the verb was sprecan and the noun sprǣc, both with an r as in German (and in the other Germanic languages). The r-less forms began to appear in the south of England and became common in the 11th century; the forms with r disappeared completely by the middle of the 12th. A similar loss of r after a consonant and before a vowel occurred in the Middle English noun prang and its variant pronge, "severe pain, sharp pain." Pronge survives today as prong (of a pitchfork, for example). The plural of prang appears in a poem composed about 1400 as pangus, "sharp stabs of pain," and survives today as pang, "sharp, stabbing pain."

speak

(spiːk) vb, speaks, speaking, spoke or spoken1. to make (verbal utterances); utter (words)2. to communicate or express (something) in or as if in words: I speak the truth. 3. (intr) to deliver a speech, discourse, etc4. (Linguistics) (tr) to know how to talk in (a language or dialect): he does not speak German. 5. (intr) to make a characteristic sound: the clock spoke. 6. (Hunting) (intr) (of dogs, esp hounds used in hunting) to give tongue; bark7. (Nautical Terms) (tr) nautical to hail and converse or communicate with (another vessel) at sea8. (Instruments) (intr) (of a musical instrument) to produce a sound9. (foll by: for) to be a representative or advocate (of): he speaks for all the members. 10. on speaking terms on good terms; friendly11. so to speak in a manner of speaking; as it were12. speak one's mind to express one's opinions frankly and plainly13. to speak of of a significant or worthwhile nature: we have had no support to speak of. [Old English specan; related to Old High German spehhan, Middle High German spechten to gossip, Middle Dutch speken; see speech] ˈspeakable adj

speak

(spik)

v. spoke, spo•ken, speak•ing. v.i. 1. to utter words or articulate sounds with the ordinary voice; talk. 2. to communicate vocally; mention. 3. to converse. 4. to deliver an address, discourse, etc. 5. to make a statement in written or printed words. 6. to communicate, signify, or disclose by any means. 7. to emit a sound, as a musical instrument; make a noise or report. v.t. 8. to utter vocally and articulately. 9. to express or make known with the voice. 10. to declare in writing or printing, or by any means of communication. 11. to use, or be able to use, in oral utterance: to speak French. 12. to communicate with (a passing vessel) at sea, as by voice or signal. 13. Archaic. to speak to or with. 14. speak for, to speak in behalf of. 15. speak out, to express one's opinion openly and unreservedly. 16. speak up, a. to speak loud enough to be heard. b. to speak out. Idioms: 1. so to speak, figuratively speaking: We lost our shirt, so to speak. 2. speak well for, to be an indication or reflection of (something commendable). 3. to speak of, worth mentioning: no debts to speak of. [before 900; Middle English speken, Old English specan, variant of sprecan, c. Old Frisian spreka, Old Saxon sprekan, Old High German sprehhan] speak′a•ble, adj.

-speak

a combining form extracted from newspeak, used in the formation of compound words that denote the vocabulary of a field, person, era, etc.: adspeak; artspeak; futurespeak.

speak

say">say tell">tell1. 'speak'

When you speak, you use your voice to produce words. The past tense of speak is spoke. The -ed participle is spoken.

They spoke very enthusiastically about their trip.I've spoken to Raja and he agrees with me.2. 'say'

Don't use 'speak' to report what someone says. Don't say, for example, 'He spoke that the doctor had arrived'. Say 'He said that the doctor had arrived'.

I said that I would like to teach English.He said it was an accident.3. 'tell'

If you mention the person who is being spoken to as well as what was said, use tell.

He told me that he was a farmer.I told her what the doctor had said.See say, tell4. 'talk'See speak - talk

speak

talk">talk

Speak and talk have very similar meanings, but there are some differences in the ways in which they are used.

1. 'speaking' and 'talking'

When saying that someone is using his or her voice to produce words, you usually say that they are speaking.

Please be quiet when I am speaking.He was speaking so quickly I found it hard to understand.

However, if two or more people are having a conversation, you usually say that they are talking. You don't say that they 'are speaking'.

I think she was listening to us while we were talking.They sat in the kitchen drinking and talking.2. used with 'to' and 'with'

If you have a conversation with someone, you can say that you speak to them or talk to them.

I saw you speaking to him just now.I enjoyed talking to Ana.

You can also say that you speak with someone or talk with someone. This use is particularly common in American English.

He spoke with his friends and told them what had happened.I talked with his mother many times.

When you make a telephone call, you ask if you can speak to someone. You don't ask if you can 'talk to' them.

Hello. Could I speak to Sue, please?3. used with 'about'

If you speak about something, you describe it to a group of people, for example in a lecture.

I spoke about my experiences at University.She spoke for twenty minutes about the political situation.

In conversation, you can refer to the thing someone is discussing as the thing they are talking about.

You know the book I'm talking about.I think he was talking about behaviour in the classroom.

You can refer in a general way to what someone is saying as what they are talking about.

'I saw you at the concert.' 'What are you talking about? I wasn't there!'

If two or more people are discussing something, you say they are talking about it. Don't say they 'are speaking about' it.

The men were talking about some medical problem.Everybody will be talking about it at school tomorrow.4. languages

You say that someone speaks or can speak a language.

They spoke fluent English.How many languages can you speak?

You don't say that someone 'talks' a language.

Be Careful!
Don't use 'in' when you are talking about someone's ability to speak a language, and don't use a progressive form. Don't say, for example, 'She speaks in Dutch' or 'She is speaking Dutch' to mean that she is able to speak Dutch.

Be Careful!
If you hear some people talking, you can say 'Those people are speaking in Dutch' or 'Those people are talking in Dutch'.

She heard them talking in French.They are speaking in Arabic.

speak

Past participle: spoken
Gerund: speaking

Imperative
speak
speak

Present
I speak
you speak
he/she/it speaks
we speak
you speak
they speak

Preterite
I spoke
you spoke
he/she/it spoke
we spoke
you spoke
they spoke

Present Continuous
I am speaking
you are speaking
he/she/it is speaking
we are speaking
you are speaking
they are speaking

Present Perfect
I have spoken
you have spoken
he/she/it has spoken
we have spoken
you have spoken
they have spoken

Past Continuous
I was speaking
you were speaking
he/she/it was speaking
we were speaking
you were speaking
they were speaking

Past Perfect
I had spoken
you had spoken
he/she/it had spoken
we had spoken
you had spoken
they had spoken

Future
I will speak
you will speak
he/she/it will speak
we will speak
you will speak
they will speak

Future Perfect
I will have spoken
you will have spoken
he/she/it will have spoken
we will have spoken
you will have spoken
they will have spoken

Future Continuous
I will be speaking
you will be speaking
he/she/it will be speaking
we will be speaking
you will be speaking
they will be speaking

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been speaking
you have been speaking
he/she/it has been speaking
we have been speaking
you have been speaking
they have been speaking

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been speaking
you will have been speaking
he/she/it will have been speaking
we will have been speaking
you will have been speaking
they will have been speaking

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been speaking
you had been speaking
he/she/it had been speaking
we had been speaking
you had been speaking
they had been speaking

Conditional
I would speak
you would speak
he/she/it would speak
we would speak
you would speak
they would speak

Past Conditional
I would have spoken
you would have spoken
he/she/it would have spoken
we would have spoken
you would have spoken
they would have spoken

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	speak - express in speech; "She talks a lot of nonsense"; "This depressed patient does not verbalize"mouth, talk, verbalise, verbalize, utterread - look at, interpret, and say out loud something that is written or printed; "The King will read the proclamation at noon"communicate, intercommunicate - transmit thoughts or feelings; "He communicated his anxieties to the psychiatrist"phonate, vocalise, vocalize - utter speech soundstroll - speak or recite rapidly or in a rolling voicebegin - begin to speak or say; "Now listen, friends," he beganlip off, shoot one's mouth off - speak spontaneously and without restraint; "She always shoots her mouth off and says things she later regrets"shout - utter in a loud voice; talk in a loud voice (usually denoting characteristic manner of speaking); "My grandmother is hard of hearing--you'll have to shout"whisper - speak softly; in a low voicepeep - speak in a hesitant and high-pitched tone of voicespeak up - speak louder; raise one's voice; "The audience asked the lecturer to please speak up"snap, snarl - utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone; "The sales clerk snapped a reply at the angry customer"; "The guard snarled at us"enthuse - utter with enthusiasmspeak in tongues - speak unintelligibly in or as if in religious ecstasy; "The parishioners spoke in tongues"swallow - utter indistinctly; "She swallowed the last words of her speech"verbalise, verbalize - be verbose; "This lawyer verbalizes and is rather tedious"whiff - utter with a puff of air; "whiff out a prayer"talk of, talk about - discuss or mention; "They spoke of many things"blubber out, blubber - utter while cryingdrone on, drone - talk in a monotonous voicestammer, stutter, bumble, falter - speak haltingly; "The speaker faltered when he saw his opponent enter the room"rasp - utter in a grating voiceblunder out, blurt, blurt out, ejaculate, blunder - utter impulsively; "He blurted out the secret"; "He blundered his stupid ideas"inflect, modulate, tone - vary the pitch of one's speechdeliver, present - deliver (a speech, oration, or idea); "The commencement speaker presented a forceful speech that impressed the students"generalise, generalize - speak or write in generalitiesblabber, palaver, piffle, prate, prattle, tattle, tittle-tattle, twaddle, gabble, gibber, blab, clack, maunder, chatter - speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantlychatter - make noise as if chattering away; "The magpies were chattering in the trees"rattle on, yack, yack away, yap away, jaw - talk incessantly and tiresomelyopen up - talk freely and without inhibitionsnivel, whine - talk in a tearful mannermurmur - speak softly or indistinctly; "She murmured softly to the baby in her arms"mumble, mussitate, mutter, maunder - talk indistinctly; usually in a low voiceslur - utter indistinctlybark - speak in an unfriendly tone; "She barked into the dictaphone"bay - utter in deep prolonged tonesjabber, mouth off, rabbit on, rant, rave, spout - talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory mannersiss, sizz, hiss, sibilate - express or utter with a hisscackle - talk or utter in a cackling manner; "The women cackled when they saw the movie star step out of the limousine"babble - utter meaningless sounds, like a baby, or utter in an incoherent way; "The old man is only babbling--don't pay attention"intone, tone, chant - utter monotonously and repetitively and rhythmically; "The students chanted the same slogan over and over again"gulp - utter or make a noise, as when swallowing too quickly; "He gulped for help after choking on a big piece of meat"sing - produce tones with the voice; "She was singing while she was cooking"; "My brother sings very well"speak up - speak louder; raise one's voice; "The audience asked the lecturer to please speak up"
	2.	speak - exchange thoughts; talk with; "We often talk business"; "Actions talk louder than words"talkcommunicate, intercommunicate - transmit thoughts or feelings; "He communicated his anxieties to the psychiatrist"proceed, continue, carry on, go on - continue talking; "I know it's hard," he continued, "but there is no choice"; "carry on--pretend we are not in the room"dissertate, hold forth, discourse - talk at length and formally about a topic; "The speaker dissertated about the social politics in 18th century England"pontificate - talk in a dogmatic and pompous manner; "The new professor always pontificates"orate - talk pompouslytalk down - speak in a condescending manner, as if to a child; "He talks down to her"spiel - speak at great length (about something)dogmatise, dogmatize - speak dogmaticallycheek - speak impudently tolevel - talk frankly with; lay it on the line; "I have to level with you"talk turkey - discuss frankly, often in a business contextmonologuise, monologuize, soliloquise, soliloquize - talk to oneselfconverse, discourse - carry on a conversationchat up, coquet, coquette, flirt, mash, philander, romance, dally, butterfly - talk or behave amorously, without serious intentions; "The guys always try to chat up the new secretaries"; "My husband never flirts with other women"dish the dirt, gossip - wag one's tongue; speak about others and reveal secrets or intimacies; "She won't dish the dirt"rap - talk volublyspeak for - be a spokesperson for; "He represents the Government's position"
	3.	speak - use language; "the baby talks already"; "the prisoner won't speak"; "they speak a strange dialect"talkcommunicate, intercommunicate - transmit thoughts or feelings; "He communicated his anxieties to the psychiatrist"run on - talk or narrate at lengthsmatter - speak with spotty or superficial knowledge; "She smatters Russian"slang - use slang or vulgar language
	4.	speak - give a speech to; "The chairman addressed the board of trustees"addressblaze away - speak with fire and passion; "He blazed away at his opponents in the Senate"memorialise, memorialize - address in a memorial; "The President memorialized the heroes of the battle"keynote - give the keynote address to (an audience)harangue - deliver a harangue to; address forcefully
	5.	speak - make a characteristic or natural sound; "The drums spoke"sound - give off a certain sound or sounds; "This record sounds scratchy"

speak

verb1. talk, say something The President spoke of the need for territorial compromise.2. articulate, say, voice, pronounce, utter, tell, state, talk, express, communicate, make known, enunciate The very act of speaking the words gave him comfort.3. converse, talk, chat, discourse, confer, commune, have a word, have a talk, natter (Brit. informal), exchange views, shoot the breeze (slang, chiefly U.S. & Canad.) It was very emotional when we spoke again.4. lecture, talk, discourse, spout (informal), make a speech, pontificate, give a speech, declaim, hold forth, spiel (informal), address an audience, deliver an address, orate, speechify Last month I spoke in front of two thousand people in Birmingham.5. deal with, discuss, go into, write about, be concerned with, touch upon, discourse upon Throughout the book Liu speaks of the abuse of Party power.6. indicate, show, reveal, display, suggest, signal, point to, imply, manifest, signify, denote, bespeak, be symptomatic of, betoken His behaviour spoke of an early maturity.speak for something or someone1. represent, act for or on behalf of, appear for, hold a brief for, hold a mandate for It was the job of the church to speak for the underprivileged.2. support, back, champion, defend, promote, advocate, fight for, uphold, commend, espouse, stick up for (informal) a role in which he would be seen as speaking for the Governmentspeak out or up1. speak publicly, have your say, speak your mind, sound off, stand up and be counted, speak openly, speak frankly, make your position plain She continued to speak out at rallies around the country.2. speak loudly, raise your voice, make yourself heard, say it loud and clear I'm quite deaf - you'll have to speak up.speak to someone1. reprimand, rebuke, scold, check, lecture, censure, reproach, tick off (informal), castigate, chide, dress down (informal), admonish, tell off (informal), take to task, read the riot act, tongue-lash, reprove, upbraid, slap on the wrist (informal), bawl out (informal), rap over the knuckles, haul over the coals (informal), tear (someone) off a strip (Brit. informal), reprehend, give (someone) a row (informal), send someone away with a flea in his or her ear (informal) This is not the first time I have had to speak to you about your timekeeping.2. address, talk to, accost, direct your words at, apostrophize Are you speaking to me?

speak

verb1. To engage in spoken exchange:chat, confabulate, converse, discourse, talk.Informal: confab, visit.2. To direct speech to:address, talk.3. To express oneself in speech:talk, verbalize, vocalize.Idioms: open one's mouth, put in words, wag one's tongue.4. To talk to an audience formally:address, lecture, prelect.Archaic: bespeak.phrasal verb
speak forTo serve as an official delegate of:represent, stand for.

Translations

发言演说讲讲话说出

speak

(spiːk) – past tense spoke (spouk) : past participle ˈspoken (ˈspoukən) – verb1. to say (words) or talk. He can't speak; He spoke a few words to us.讲话2. (often with to or (American) with) to talk or converse. Can I speak to/with you for a moment?; We spoke for hours about it.谈话3. to (be able to) talk in (a language). She speaks Russian. 讲（某种语言） 4. to tell or make known (one's thoughts, the truth etc). I always speak my mind.说出5. to make a speech, address an audience. The Prime Minister spoke on unemployment.演说ˈspeaker noun1. a person who is or was speaking. 演讲者2. (sometimes ˌloudˈspeaker) the device in a radio, record-player etc which converts the electrical impulses into audible sounds. Our record-player needs a new speaker.扬声器ˈspeaking adjective1. involving speech. a speaking part in a play.精彩的2. used in speech. a pleasant speaking voice.富于表情的ˈspoken adjective produced by speaking. the spoken word. 口语（化）的 -spoken speaking in a particular way. plain-spoken; smooth-spoken.具有...特点的说话generally speaking in general. Generally speaking, men are stronger than women.总的来说speak for itself/themselves to have an obvious meaning; not to need explaining. The facts speak for themselves.不言而喻speak out to say boldly what one thinks. I feel the time has come to speak out. 大胆地说（出） speak up to speak (more) loudly. Speak up! We can't hear you! 大声讲，响亮地说 to speak of worth mentioning. He has no talent to speak of. 值得一说（一提）

speak

→ 发言zhCN

Could you speak louder, please? → 请说大点声，好吗？
Could you speak more slowly, please? → 请说慢一点，好吗？
Do you speak English? → 您会说英语吗？
I don't speak English → 我不会说英语
I speak very little English → 我只会说一点点英语
What languages do you speak? → 您说什么语言？
I speak ... → 我说...语
May I speak to ...? (US)
Can I speak to ...? (UK) → 请找...接电话
I'd like to speak to ..., please → 我想跟...通话，可以吗？
May I speak to Mr. ...? (US)
Can I speak to Mr ...? (UK) → 我可以跟...先生通话吗？
May I speak to Ms. ..., please? (US)
Can I speak to Ms ..., please? (UK) → 我们跟...女士通话吗？
I'd like to speak to the manager, please → 请把你们的经理叫来
Could I speak to the owner, please? → 请把你们的店主叫来
Does anyone here speak ...? → 这里有人会说...吗？
I want to speak to a policewoman → 我想要跟女警官通话／说话
I'd like to speak to a doctor → 我想要见医生
I'd like to speak to a female doctor → 我想要见女医生
I'd like to speak to a nurse → 我想要见护士
May I speak to you in private? (US)
Can I speak to you in private? (UK) → 我能单独跟您谈谈吗？

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Synonyms for speak

verb talk

Synonyms

verb articulate

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verb converse

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verb lecture

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verb deal with

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verb indicate

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phrase speak for something or someone: represent

Synonyms

phrase speak for something or someone: support

Synonyms

phrase speak out or up: speak publicly

Synonyms

phrase speak out or up: speak loudly

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phrase speak to someone: reprimand

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phrase speak to someone: address

Synonyms

Synonyms for speak

verb to engage in spoken exchange

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verb to direct speech to

Synonyms

verb to express oneself in speech

Synonyms

verb to talk to an audience formally

Synonyms

phrase speak for: to serve as an official delegate of

Synonyms

Synonyms for speak

verb express in speech

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Related Words

verb exchange thoughts

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Related Words

verb use language

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verb give a speech to

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verb make a characteristic or natural sound

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