俗话

• Pinyin: sú huà
• Hanzi breakdown: 俗 = 亻+ 谷 (common, folk); 话 = 讠(speech radical) + 舌 (tongue) — words/speech in common circulation

Meaning

A common saying or proverb widely known among ordinary people. Refers to traditional folk expressions that encapsulate popular wisdom and are passed down through everyday speech.

Encompasses proverbs, adages, and folk sayings that form part of everyday Chinese cultural literacy. Often introduced with the fixed phrase 俗话说. Distinct from 成语 (four-character idioms with classical literary origins) by their colloquial nature and looser structure. Used in both formal and informal contexts to add rhetorical weight or connect with the audience.

Examples

1. 老人引用了一句俗话来开导心情低落的孙子，告诉他凡事都要往好处想，不必过于纠结眼前的困境。 The older man quoted a common saying to encourage his downcast grandson, telling him to look on the bright side and not get too hung up on the hardship right in front of him.
2. 这篇演讲中，领导人恰到好处地引用了几句民间俗话，使本来严肃的政策宣讲变得生动易懂，深入人心。 In the speech, the leader aptly quoted a few folk sayings, making what could have been a serious policy address lively and easy to understand—and truly resonant.
3. 许多俗话看似浅显易懂，实则蕴含着数代人在生产劳动中积累的朴素智慧，值得细细品味与领悟。 Many common sayings seem simple on the surface, but they actually contain the plain wisdom generations accumulated through work and daily life, and they’re worth savoring and reflecting on.

Usage Guide

Context: language, culture, rhetoric, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 在演讲或议论文中引用俗话能使内容更接地气，但应确保所引用的俗话确实广为人知，以免听众感到陌生。(Quoting common sayings in speeches or essays makes content more relatable, but one should ensure the saying is genuinely well known to avoid leaving the audience confused.)
• 他将这句流传已久的俗话巧妙地嵌入文章，既丰富了语言层次，又使论点获得了民间智慧的有力支撑。(He cleverly wove this long-circulating saying into his essay, enriching the language while lending his argument the weight of folk wisdom.)

Don't Say

• 俗话 与 成语 不同 — 不要将四字文言成语称为俗话；成语通常有书面出处，俗话则源于民间口耳相传，形式更为灵活

Origin & History

俗 (common, folk) + 话 (words, speech) — words commonly spoken among ordinary people

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal