俗话说

• Pinyin: sú huà shuō
• Hanzi breakdown: 俗 = 亻+ 谷 (folk/common); 话 = 讠+ 舌 (speech); 说 = 讠+ 兑 (to speak, to say)

Meaning

As the saying goes; it is commonly said that. A fixed introductory phrase used to introduce a proverb or folk saying in order to support a point or add rhetorical authority to an argument.

One of the most common discourse markers in Chinese, appearing in both spoken and written language. Functions rhetorically to invoke collective wisdom and lend a statement the backing of common experience. Typically followed immediately by a proverb or folk saying. Widely used in speeches, persuasive essays, and everyday conversation to ground an argument in shared cultural knowledge.

Examples

1. 俗话说，授人以鱼不如授人以渔，所以这个扶贫项目的核心理念是培养村民的自主发展能力，而非单纯提供物质援助。 As the saying goes, it’s better to teach someone to fish than to give them a fish—so the core idea of this poverty-alleviation program is to build villagers’ ability to develop on their own, rather than simply provide material aid.
2. 俗话说，远亲不如近邻，在这次洪灾中，正是邻里之间的守望相助让许多家庭得以顺利度过最艰难的时刻。 As the saying goes, a near neighbor is better than a distant relative; in this flood, it was neighbors looking out for each other that helped many families get through the hardest time.
3. 俗话说，良药苦口利于病，有时候真正对你有益的建议听起来并不悦耳，但接受它往往才是明智之举。 As the saying goes, good medicine tastes bitter; sometimes advice that truly benefits you doesn’t sound pleasant, but accepting it is often the wiser choice.

Usage Guide

Context: rhetoric, speeches, everyday conversation, writing

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 俗话说，万事开头难，但只要迈出了第一步，后续的困难往往会随着经验的积累而逐渐变得可以应对，不必过于畏惧。(As the saying goes, the hardest part is getting started — but once you take that first step, subsequent difficulties tend to become manageable as experience accumulates.)
• 俗话说，三人行必有我师，在团队合作中保持谦逊、主动向身边的人学习，是持续进步的重要前提与基础。(As the saying goes, among any three people there is something to learn — maintaining humility and actively learning from those around you is a key prerequisite for continuous growth.)

Don't Say

• 不要在正式学术论文中频繁使用 俗话说 — 它适合演讲和议论文，但严肃学术写作中宜改用 正如民间所言 或在引用后注明出处

Origin & History

俗话 (common saying) + 说 (to say) — literally 'as the common saying says'; a fixed discourse marker

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal