english
1
general::
speak out/up
to give your opinion about something in public, especially on a subject which you have strong feelings about
• If no one has the courage to speak out against the system, things will never improve., speak up for sb/sth
to support someone or something, especially by saying good things about them
• She has often spoken up for the rights of working mothers., speak up
to speak in a louder voice so that people can hear you
• Could you speak up? We can't hear at the back.
Cambridge-Phrasal Verbs
2
general::
speak
adverbs
speak well/highly of somebody
(= say good things about them )
• He always spoke very highly of Marge.
speak ill of somebody
(= say bad things about them )
• She never speaks ill of him.
speaking personally
• Speaking personally, yes, this is a worry.
strictly speaking
• Strictly speaking, the tomato is a fruit.
generally speaking
• Generally speaking, the results have been good.
roughly/broadly speaking
• These innovations are, roughly speaking, what this book is about.
relatively speaking
• Relatively speaking, property there is still cheap.
phrases
speak as a parent/teacher etc
• Speaking as a medical man, I'd advise you to take some exercise every day.
transnet.ir
3
general::
verb have a conversation ADV. briefly We spoke briefly on the phone. | at length | hardly Ben hardly spoke to me all evening. VERB + SPEAK want to | refuse to The president refused to speak to the waiting journalists. | dare (to) No one had ever dared speak to him like that before. PREP. about, to I need to speak to Joseph about this matter. | with Can I speak with you for a minute? PHRASES be on speaking terms (with sb) We are still on speaking terms after the argument. | not be speaking (to sb) Ed and Dave aren't speaking at the moment. use your voice to say sth ADV. loudly | quietly, softly | clearly You must speak loudly and clearly on the stage. | slowly | calmly | brusquely, sharply | briefly | at length | suddenly | hardly | eloquently, movingly She spoke eloquently about the need for action. | lovingly, warmly | disparagingly, harshly | encouragingly, soothingly | authoritatively, forcefully | earnestly | coherently, intelligibly, meaningfully | absently | freely, openly | boldly | hesitantly | out VERB + SPEAK be able/unable to, can/could (hardly) She was so moved she could hardly speak. | begin to, open your mouth to She opened her mouth to speak and found she couldn't. | try to | dare not, not trust yourself to He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. | hear sb I heard him speak at the debating society. PREP. about, against He spoke out against mismanagement. | for I speak for all my colleagues. | in favour of She spoke in favour of the new tax. | on She speaks on women's issues. | on behalf of I speak on behalf of many thousands of women. | of He speaks very warmly of you. | to He will be speaking to history students about the causes of war. know a language ADV. fluently, well He speaks German fluently. VERB + SPEAK be able/unable to, can/could | learn to learning to speak a foreign language | teach sb to PREP. in Would you prefer it if we spoke in French?
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
4
general::
to speak a language
speak
to be able to talk in a foreign language:
• Do you speak German? • I learnt Spanish for years, but I still don’t speak it very well.
be fluent in something
to be very good at speaking and understanding a foreign language, so that you can speak it almost as well as your own language:
• Applicants should be fluent in Cantonese.
get by
to speak enough of a language to be able to buy things, ask for help etc:
• ‘What’s your Italian like?’ ‘Not great, but I can get by.’ • I’ve just bought a book called ‘Get by in Portuguese'.
have/pick up a smattering of something
to speak or learn to speak a small but useful amount of a language:
• While I was in Bali, I picked up a smattering of Indonesian.
Longman-Thesaurus
5
general::
In addition to the idioms beginning with SPEAK, Also see ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS; IN A MANNER OF SPEAKING; NOTHING TO SPEAK OF; NOT TO MENTION (SPEAK OF); ON SPEAKING TERMS; SO TO SPEAK; TO SPEAK OF.
American Heritage Idioms
6
general::
verb
lecture:
They asked him to speak to the group.
verb
chat:
I want to speak with her.
Simple Definitions