HSK 7-9
（你）还别说
(nǐ) hái bié shuō
You know what, actually...; surprisingly
Structure
(你) 还别说 + Clause/Sentence
How it works
This colloquial expression is used to express realization or surprise after reconsidering a situation. It functions as a conversational filler to transition into a point that the speaker might have previously doubted or overlooked.
Examples
你还别说，这种老式的收音机音质真不错。
Nǐ hái bié shuō, zhè zhǒng lǎoshì de shōuyīnjī yīnji zhēn búcuò.
You know what? This old-fashioned radio's sound quality is actually quite good.
还别说，这孩子长得真像他爷爷。
Hái bié shuō, zhè háizi zhǎng de zhēn xiàng tā yéye.
Actually, come to think of it, this child really looks like his grandfather.
你还别说，换个角度想，这个问题就没那么复杂了。
Nǐ hái bié shuō, huàn gè jiǎodù xiǎng, zhè gè wèntí jiù méi nàme fùzá le.
Believe it or not, looking at it from a different angle makes the problem much less complex.
Common mistakes
Do not interpret this literally as 'don't talk anymore'; it is not an order to be quiet, but an idiomatic way to say 'now that you mention it'.
Tip
Think of it as the equivalent of the English phrase 'I've got to hand it to you' or 'Now that I think about it' when admitting a truth.
More HSK 7-9 grammar
See （你）还别说 in real Chinese
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