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HSK 7-9 Discourse Marker: 话是这么说 (huà shì zhème shuō)
In advanced Chinese, 话是这么说 (huà shì zhème shuō) is a fixed discourse marker meaning 'that may be true in theory' or 'it is easy to say that.' Speakers use it to politely validate a logical principle or piece of advice before pivoting to the practical obstacles, emotional realities, or complex exceptions that make it hard to apply.
削减开支确实能缓解目前的财务压力。话是这么说，可要是连核心研发经费都砍了，公司明年的竞争力怎么办？
Used within a single speaker's turn to concede a general business principle before raising a severe practical risk with 可 (kě).
Read the full explanation and examples
What Does 话是这么说 Mean?
Listed in the HSK 7-9 syllabus under fixed phrases and discourse markers, 话是这么说 (huà shì zhème shuō) literally translates to 'the words are said like this.' In actual communication, it functions as a concessive pivot roughly equivalent to 'that is true in theory,' 'that is all very well to say,' or 'fair enough, but...'
This expression lets a speaker acknowledge that an earlier point sounds reasonable before raising a limitation or reservation. It can soften disagreement, but its effect depends on context and tone; using it is not a measure of a speaker’s language level.
Pragmatic Function and Register
As a discourse marker, 话是这么说 does not add new factual information to a sentence; rather, it manages the interpersonal tone of a disagreement. It softens an upcoming objection by showing that the speaker has heard and understood the prior point. Its core pragmatic characteristics include:
- Theory versus reality: It contrasts an idealized rule, textbook principle, or well-meaning suggestion with messy practical constraints (time, money, human nature, or emotions).
- Polite disagreement: In dialogue, it validates the other person's good intentions before explaining why their advice cannot be followed.
- Self-qualification: In a single speaker's monologue, it allows the speaker to state a conventional truth and then immediately problematize it.
- Register: It is most natural in spoken Mandarin, workplace discussions, interviews, and conversational essays. It is generally avoided in rigid legal texts or impersonal scientific reports.
甲：你应该多抽时间陪陪家人，工作永远做不完。乙：话是这么说，但这个项目下周就要交付，我现在实在走不开。
Used at the start of a reply to politely validate well-meaning advice before explaining a real-world deadline constraint with 但 (dàn).
Sentence Position and Collocations
Because 话是这么说 is a fixed clause-level expression, you should treat it as an intact unit rather than trying to modify its internal grammar. It almost always stands at the beginning of a response or at the start of a new clause after a comma or period, separated from the following complication by a pause.
The next clause gives the speaker’s reservation. It often begins with 但是、可、可是 or 不过, but the conjunction can be omitted when context already makes the contrast clear. Words such as 还是、实在 or 恐怕 may help in a particular sentence; they do not inherently mean “difficulty” or make a negative clause obligatory.
削减开支确实能缓解目前的财务压力。话是这么说，可要是连核心研发经费都砍了，公司明年的竞争力怎么办？
Used within a single speaker's turn to concede a general business principle before raising a severe practical risk with 可 (kě).
话是这么说，真要把这套新制度落实到基层，恐怕还会遇到不少阻力。
Shows that an explicit word for 'but' is optional when followed by conditional phrasing like 真要 (zhēn yào, if we really want to) and 恐怕 (kǒngpà, I'm afraid).
大家都劝我别往心里去，说他也是无心之失。话是这么说，我心里还是有点儿不是滋味。
Contrasts rational advice from others with the speaker's lingering emotional reality, linked by 还是 (háishi, still).
Useful Contrast: 话是这么说 vs. 话（又）说回来
Learners at the advanced level often confuse 话是这么说 with another conversational discourse marker, 话（又）说回来 (huà (yòu) shuō huílái, 'then again' or 'on the other hand'). While both expressions introduce a shift in perspective, they move the argument in different directions:
- 话是这么说 moves from an easy theory to a hard reality. The speaker concedes that a prior statement sounds right, then explains why it is difficult to execute or accept in practice.
- 话（又）说回来 steps back from a strong claim or criticism to offer a fairer, mitigating, or complementary angle. Rather than contrasting theory with practical obstacles, it balances one side of an evaluation against another.
他这次处理得确实太急躁了；不过话又说回来，当时的情况那么紧急，换了别人也未必能做得更好。
Contrast example using 话又说回来 (huà yòu shuō huílái) to step back from a criticism and offer a mitigating perspective, rather than contrasting theory with practical difficulty.
Frequently asked questions
Do I always need to put 但是 or 可 after 话是这么说?
No. Use an explicit “but” when it makes the reservation clearer; omit it when the contrast is already understandable. In 我现在实在走不开, 实在 means “really”; the inability comes from 走不开, not from 实在 alone.
Can 话是这么说 be used alone as a complete response?
In casual conversation, a speaker might say 话是这么说…… with a trailing intonation and a sigh, leaving the practical difficulty implied by context. However, in standard speaking and writing, it is almost always followed immediately by the clause explaining the limitation.
Does 话是这么说 sound rude or dismissive?
It can be a tactful way to acknowledge a point before disagreeing. It is not automatically polite: a sarcastic tone or repeated dismissal can make it sound impatient. Let the following explanation show that you have taken the other person’s point seriously.
