HSK Level 4

说服

shuō fú

to convince; persuade

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Example Sentences

Synonyms

游说 (yóu shuō)

lobby

劝说 (quàn shuō)

persuade

Antonyms

拒绝 (jùjué)

reject

反对 (fǎnduì)

oppose

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 说服 (shuō fú) means "to persuade" or "to convince". It is composed of two characters: 说 (shuō), which means "to speak" or "to say", and 服 (fú), which means "to submit" or "to obey". Together, these two characters convey the idea of using words to cause someone to change their mind or behavior.The word 说服 has been used in Chinese for centuries. It can be found in ancient texts such as the Analects of Confucius and the Mencius. In these texts, 说服 is often used in the context of political or philosophical debates. For example, Confucius says, "A gentleman is one who is able to persuade others without using force."Today, 说服 is still commonly used in Chinese. It is used in a variety of contexts, including business, politics, and everyday life. For example, a salesperson might use 说服 to try to convince a customer to buy a product, or a politician might use 说服 to try to convince voters to support their policies.说服 is a versatile word that can be used in a variety of ways. It is an important word for HSK learners to know, as it is used frequently in both spoken and written Chinese.