HSK 7-9
说到哪儿去了
shuō dào nǎr qù le
Where was I?; I've gone off topic
Structure
(刚才)说到哪儿去了?
How it works
This idiomatic expression is used to acknowledge that the speaker has veered off the main topic or to ask for help remembering the previous point of discussion. It translates literally to 'Where has the talk gone?' and serves as a natural transition to bring the conversation back on track.
Examples
哎呀，刚才说到哪儿去了？我们还是接着谈合作的事吧。
Āiyā, gāngcái shuō dào nǎr qù le? Wǒmen háishì jiēzhe tán hézuò de shì ba.
Oh, where was I? Let's get back to discussing the cooperation.
你看我这一打岔，都说到哪儿去了，咱们言归正传。
Nǐ kàn wǒ zhè yī dǎchà, dōu shuō dào nǎr qù le, zánmen yánguīzhèngzhuàn.
Look at me getting distracted; I've gone totally off topic. Let's return to the subject.
刚才说到哪儿去了？哦，对了，我想起来了。
Gāngcái shuō dào nǎr qù le? Ò, duìle, wǒ xiǎng qǐlái le.
Where was I? Oh, right, I remember now.
Common mistakes
Do not confuse this with '说到哪儿去', which can sometimes mean 'Don't mention it' or suggest a misunderstanding in different contexts; the 'le' (了) is essential here to indicate the state of having already digressed.
Tip
Use this phrase paired with '言归正传' (yánguīzhèngzhuàn) to sound like a highly proficient, native-level speaker when refocusing a meeting or conversation.
More HSK 7-9 grammar
See 说到哪儿去了 in real Chinese
Import an article and tap any sentence using it. The explanation comes back about the sentence in front of you, not a textbook example.
Try InputDojo free