HSK 4
说起 O
shuōqǐ O
speaking of O
Structure
说起 + Noun / Noun Phrase / Verb Phrase, (Subject) + ...
How it works
The structure '说起' is used to introduce a specific topic into a conversation, often triggered by something previously mentioned or a sudden thought. It functions similarly to 'speaking of' or 'mentioning' in English, setting the context for the following statement.
Examples
说起我的家乡，那里的风景美极了。
Shuōqǐ wǒ de jiāxiāng, nàlǐ de fēngjǐng měi jí le.
Speaking of my hometown, the scenery there is extremely beautiful.
说起运动，我最喜欢打篮球。
Shuōqǐ yùndòng, wǒ zuì xǐhuān dǎ lánqiú.
Speaking of sports, I like playing basketball the most.
我们说起以前的事，大家都笑了起来。
Wǒmen shuōqǐ yǐqián de shì, dàjiā dōu xiào le qǐlái.
When we mentioned things from the past, everyone started laughing.
Common mistakes
Don't confuse '说起' with '说到'. While often interchangeable, '说起' focuses more on initiating a topic, whereas '说到' can also mean 'to speak until' a certain point or time.
Tip
You can think of '说起' as a conversational bridge. If you want to sound more formal, you can use '谈到' (tándào) instead.
More HSK 4 grammar
See 说起 O 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