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却说 (què shuì) — (fixed expression) meanwhile; let's resume our story (narrative transition device in traditional fiction)

Definition

A fixed narrative transition used in classical and traditional fiction to mean 'meanwhile' or 'now, to resume the story' — opening a new scene or chapter. It signals a shift in time or place, not a spoken remark.

idiom
(fixed expression) meanwhilelet's resume our story (narrative transition device in traditional fiction)

Examples

  • 却说。
    què shuì Sūn wù kōng lí kāi le huā guǒ shān.
    Now, Sun Wukong left the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits.
  • 却说。
    què shuì Lín dài yù jìn dào le dà guān yuán.
    And so, Lin Daiyu entered the Grand View Garden.
  • 却说，。
    què shuì Dà jiā zhèng chī zhe fàn, tū rán tīng dào wài miàn yǒu rén shuō huà.
    Meanwhile, as everyone was eating, they suddenly heard someone talking outside.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

却quèthen
说shuōsay

却说 uses 却 (then) and 说 (say) to resume a story.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 卻; 却 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
卩卩jié
Sound part声符shēngfú
𧮫
𧮫𧮫卻què
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 卻 uses 𧮫 for sound and 卩 for meaning; the simplified 却 is a shorthand.

Open 却 →

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 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesLiterature & Poetry

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