要说 (yào shuō) — (conjunction) as for, regarding

Definition

要说 (yàoshuō) is a set topic-marker meaning 'as for, when it comes to' — it introduces a new topic or shifts focus to a specific point. Written/formal in tone, more marked than a bare pause.

conjunction
as forregarding

Examples

  • 要说，。
    yào shuō Xué xí, tā cóng lái bú yòng bié rén cāo xīn.
    As for studying, he never needs others to worry.
  • 要说，。
    yào shuō Zhè cì lǚ xíng, wǒ men hái yǒu hěn duō shì qing yào zhǔn bèi.
    As for this trip, we still have many things to prepare.
  • 要说，。
    yào shuō Jiāng lái de jì huà, wǒ hái méi yǒu xiǎng hǎo.
    As for future plans, I haven't decided yet.

Origin

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

要 began as a drawing of a person with both hands pointing to the waist.

Open 要 →

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 →

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