Definition
按说 (àn shuō) means 'normally, ordinarily' but specifically sets up an expectation that is often contradicted in the next clause (e.g., with 可 'but'). It is more about what should be true based on reason or common sense, while 通常 (tōngcháng) is a neutral 'usually' without that contrastive tone.
adverb
normallyordinarily (setting up an expectation that is often contradicted)
Examples
- 按说，。àn shuō jīntiān bú huì xià yǔ, kě háishì xià yǔ le.Normally it shouldn't rain today, but it did anyway.
- 按说，。àn shuō zhège gōngzuò hěn jiǎndān, méi xiǎngdào zhème fùzá.This job should have been simple, but I didn't expect it to be so complicated.
- 按说，。àn shuō tā bú huì jùjué, shéi zhī tā yì kǒu huíjué le.Normally he wouldn't refuse, but to my surprise he turned it down flat.
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