别说

• Pinyin: bié shuō
• Hanzi breakdown: 别 = don't; 说 = 讠(speech) + 兑 (exchange), meaning to speak

Meaning

Let alone; not to mention; much less. A conjunction used to emphasize that if one thing is true, something else is even more certainly true.

Creates an emphatic comparison where the first item is already extreme, and the second is even more so. Common in spoken Chinese. Often pairs with 就是/就连...也 to complete the construction.

Examples

1. 别说是外人了，就连家里人都不知道他的真实想法。 Never mind outsiders — even his own family doesn't know his true thoughts.
2. 这道数学题太难了，别说小学生，大人都做不出来。 This math problem is too hard — let alone elementary students, even adults can't solve it.
3. 别说出国旅游了，他连省都没出过。 Forget about traveling abroad — he hasn't even left the province.

Usage Guide

Context: conversation, emphasis

Tone: emphatic

Do Say

• 别说跑步了，我连走路都喘。(Let alone running — I get out of breath just walking.)
• 别说一万块，一百块我都拿不出来。(Never mind ten thousand yuan — I can't even come up with a hundred.)

Don't Say

• 别说此项目的预算问题。(In formal writing, use 更不用说 or 何况 instead of 别说)

Origin & History

别 (don't) + 说 (say/speak). Evolved from 'don't even mention' to a conjunction meaning 'let alone.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal