来说 (speaking of / for)

• Pinyin: lái shuō
• Formation: 对 + Person + 来说 ，Statement Topic / Adverb + 来说 ，Statement
• Hanzi breakdown: 来 = 木 (tree) with horizontal strokes, meaning to come ; 说 = 讠(speech) + 兑 (exchange), meaning to speak

Meaning

The phrase 来说 is used with 对...来说 to mean 'for someone' or 'as far as someone is concerned,' and with a topic word + 来说 to mean 'speaking of' or 'in terms of.' It frames a statement from a particular person's perspective or within a specific scope.

The most common pattern is 对 + Person + 来说, which sets up a perspective before making a statement — equivalent to 'for someone' or 'as far as someone is concerned' in English. This is frequently used to express that something is easy, difficult, important, or relevant from a specific viewpoint. The second pattern, Topic + 来说, is used to narrow the scope of discussion, similar to 'speaking of' or 'in terms of.' For example, 一般来说 means 'generally speaking' and 严格来说 means 'strictly speaking.' Learners sometimes omit 对 or misplace 来说, breaking the frame structure. It is important to remember that 来说 always comes after the person or topic being referenced, never before it.

Examples

1. 对我来说，学中文最难的是声调。 For me, the hardest part of learning Chinese is the tones.
2. 一般来说，南方人比较喜欢吃米饭。 Generally speaking, southerners prefer eating rice.
3. 对孩子来说，游戏就是最好的学习方式。 For children, play is the best way to learn.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: framing

Do Say

• 对留学生来说，找房子是一件很麻烦的事。
• 总的来说，这次会议很成功。
• 对他来说，每天跑步已经成了习惯。
• 简单来说，这个问题没有标准答案。

Don't Say

• 来说对我，这个很难。(The frame must follow the order 对 + Person + 来说 — 来说 cannot be placed before 对) → 对我来说，这个很难。
• 对我来说很重要这件事。(The framed statement should follow 来说 as a complete clause — do not split the subject after 来说) → 对我来说，这件事很重要。

Origin & History

来说 literally means 'come to speak' and functions as a discourse framing device. The pattern 对...来说 emerged from classical Chinese constructions that set the perspective before a comment, evolving into one of the most common framing expressions in modern Mandarin.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal