俗话说得好 (sú huà shuō de hǎo) — (set phrase) as the saying goes, as the proverb says

Definition

A set phrase used to introduce a proverb or common saying — like 'as the saying goes' in English. It frames what follows as folk wisdom, not the speaker's own opinion.

verb
(set phrase) as the saying goesas the proverb says

Examples

  • 俗话说得好，。
    sú huà shuō de hǎo, Zǎo qǐ de niǎo r yǒu chóng chī.
    As the saying goes, the early bird catches the worm.
  • 俗话说得好，。
    sú huà shuō de hǎo, Tiān xià méi yǒu miǎn fèi de wǔ cān.
    As the saying goes, there's no free lunch.
  • 俗话说得好，。
    sú huà shuō de hǎo, Qiān lǐ zhī xíng shǐ yú zú xià.
    As the saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
谷
谷gǔ俗sú
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

俗 is built from 亻, a person, and 谷, which gives the sound; it refers to customs of people.

Open 俗 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 話; 话 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánword
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠯑
𠯑𠯑話huà
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 話, 言 relates to words and 𠯑 gives the sound; the simplified 话 is a shorthand, so its right side is not that sound part.

Open 话 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 說; 说 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
兌
兌duì說shuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 說 pairs 言 (meaning) with 兌 (sound); the simplified 说 is not the form described here.

Open 说 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The old form 㝵 showed a hand picking up a cowry, meaning to obtain; later changes turned that picture into 得.

Open 得 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

好 joins 女 (woman) and 子 (child), understood as a woman with a child, linked to goodness or affection.

Open 好 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.