Phrases using "laishuo"

Although the different phrases involving 来说 (láishuō) may seem pretty different, they do share a common structure: a word or short phrase at the beginning of a sentence, followed by 来说, sets the speaker's attitude or point of view before launching into the full comment.

Colloquial Saying 对……来说

In English we say "to someone" or "for someone," followed by some information about their particular view or circumstances. In Chinese, the pattern is 对……来说 (duì... lái shuō).

Structure

对 + Person + 来说 ，⋯⋯

The predicate part of the pattern can be a verb or an adjective.

Examples

• 对 我 来说 ， 中文 不 容易 。Duì wǒ lái shuō, Zhōngwén bù róngyì.For me, Chinese is not easy.
• 对 你 来说 ，家庭 重要 还是 工作 重要 ？Duì nǐ lái shuō, jiātíng zhòngyào háishì gōngzuò zhòngyào?Is family or work more important to you?
• 对 孩子 来说 ，这个 问题 太 复杂 了 。Duì háizi lái shuō, zhège wèntí tài fùzá le.This question is too complicated for kids.

Common Phrases

Structure

These are set phrases that you need to learn individually, but they follow a common pattern. The structure is simply:

Word + 来说

Examples

First, some common phrases:

• 一般 来说 (yībān lái shuō) generally speaking, ordinarily
• 总的 来说 (zǒngde lái shuō) generally speaking, generally
• 相对 来说 (xiāngduì lái shuō) relatively speaking
• 严格 来说 (yángé lái shuō) strictly speaking; technically
• 具体 来说 (jùtǐ lái shuō) specifically

Now, the sentences:

• 一般 来说 ，私立 学校 都 比较 贵 。Yībān lái shuō, sīlì xuéxiào dōu bǐjiào guì.Ordinarily, private schools are more expensive.
• 一般 来说 ，我们 只 要 外国 实习生 。Yībān lái shuō, wǒmen zhǐ yào wàiguó shíxíshēng.Generally speaking, we only want foreign interns.
• 一般 来说 ，大 城市 有 更 多 工作 机会 。Yībān lái shuō, dà chéngshì yǒu gèng duō gōngzuò jīhuì.Generally speaking, there are more job opportunities in big cities.
• 总的 来说 ，这 次 活动 很 成功 。Zǒng de lái shuō, zhè cì huódòng hěn chénggōng.In general, this event was a success.
• 总的 来说 ，这个 情况 在 改善 。Zǒng de lái shuō, zhège qíngkuàng zài gǎishàn.Generally speaking, this situation has been improving.
• 今天 的 考试 相对 来说 有点 难 。Jīntiān de kǎoshì xiāngduì lái shuō yǒudiǎn nán.Today's test was a little difficult, relatively speaking.
• 相对 来说 ，我 更 支持 我的 老板 。Xiāngduì lái shuō, wǒ gèng zhīchí wǒde lǎobǎn.Relatively speaking, I support my boss more.
• 严格 来说 ，他 是 我 负责人 ，不是 我 老板 。Yángé lái shuō, tā shì wǒ fùzérén, bù shì wǒ lǎobǎn.Strictly speaking, he's my supervisor, not my boss.
• 严格 来说 ，他 是 华裔 ，不 是 中国人 。Yángé lái shuō, tā shì huáyì, bù shì Zhōngguó rén.Technically, he is ethnically Chinese, not a Chinese citizen.
• 具体 来说 ，这样 做 有 三 个 好处 。Jùtǐ lái shuō, zhèyàng zuò yǒu sān gè hǎochù.Specifically, there are three benefits in doing it this way.

Sources and further reading

Books

• HSK Standard Course 4上 (pp. 59) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• HSK Standard Course 4下 (pp. 122) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 (pp. 58) 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 →buy

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