HSK 7-9
话是这么说
huà shì zhème shuō
That may be true, but...
Structure
Statement A. 话是这么说，(但是/可是) + Statement B (contrasting viewpoint).
How it works
This phrase is used to acknowledge the truth of a previous statement while immediately introducing a contrasting point, reservation, or practical difficulty. It functions as a concessive transition, similar to 'that being said' or 'it’s easy to say that, but...' in English.
Examples
话是这么说，但真正要落实起来，困难还真不少。
Huà shì zhème shuō, dàn zhēnzhèng yào luòshí qǐlái, kùnnán hái zhēn bùshǎo.
That may be true, but when it comes to actual implementation, there are quite a lot of difficulties.
话是这么说，可你也不能完全不顾及家人的感受啊。
Huà shì zhème shuō, kě nǐ yě bùnéng wánquán bù gùjí jiārén de gǎnshòu a.
That's easy to say, but you can't completely ignore your family's feelings.
话是这么说，但风险太大，我们还是得慎重考虑。
Huà shì zhème shuō, dàn fēngxiǎn tài dà, wǒmen háishì děi shènzhòng kǎolǜ.
True as that may be, the risk is too high; we still need to consider it carefully.
Common mistakes
Forgetting to follow the phrase with a contrasting conjunction like '但' (dàn) or '可是' (kěshì), which leaves the contradiction implied but grammatically weaker.
Tip
Think of this phrase as a 'polite disagreement' tool; it validates the other person's logic before you pivot to why it might not work in reality.
More HSK 7-9 grammar
See 话是这么说 in real Chinese
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