陈 chén — arrange; exhibit; narrate; tell; old; stale
博物馆里陈列着许多文物。Bó wù guǎn lǐ chén liè zhe xǔ duō wén wù.Many cultural relics are displayed in the museum.
Common words: 陈述 (chén shù)、陈旧 (chén jiù)、新陈代谢 (xīn chén dài xiè)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "tell"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "tell", including 陈 (chén), 诉 (sù). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "tell" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 陈 (chén), 诉 (sù) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span chén, sù — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 陈 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 陈 chénarrange; exhibit; narrate; tell; old; staleUseful words: 陈述, 陈旧
- 诉 sùcomplain; sue; tellUseful words: 告诉, 投诉
Common words for these 2 "tell" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 陈 (chén) — so "tell" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "tell".
诉 sù — complain; sue; tell
他向老师诉说了自己的烦恼。Tā xiàng lǎo shī sù shuō le zì jǐ de fán nǎo.He told the teacher about his worries.
Common words: 告诉 (gào sù)、投诉 (tóu sù)、起诉 (qǐ sù)
All 2 characters
Open 陈、诉 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.