Definition
话说 is a discourse marker used to open a narrative, especially in storytelling, historical accounts, or folk tales — equivalent to 'it is said that…' or 'once upon a time…' in English. It can also be used to shift topics in conversation, like 'speaking of which' or 'by the way'. In modern usage, it often appears at the start of a sentence or paragraph to set the scene.
v.p.
(narrative opener) it is saidonce upon a time(topic shift) speaking of whichby the way
Examples
- 话说，。huà shuō, cóngqián yǒu yí gè měilì de gōngzhǔ.It is said that once upon a time there was a beautiful princess.
- 话说，。huà shuō, zhè jiàn shì hái yào cóng shí nián qián shuō qǐ.Speaking of this matter, we have to start from ten years ago.
- 话说，？huà shuō, nǐ shàng cì shuō de nà ge jìhuà zěnme yàng le?By the way, how's that plan you mentioned last time going?
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.