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實話實說

简实话实说 · 繁實話實說

Mandarin · pinyin shí huà shí shuō

to tell the truth
to tell it as it is

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Characters in this entry

實: shí · real, true, solid, honest
話: huà · speech, talk, language; dialect
說: shuō · speak, say, talk; scold, upbraid
实: shí · real, true; honest, sincere
话: huà · speech, talk, language; dialect
说: shuō · speak, say, talk; scold, upbraid

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2–4–2–1 · shi2 hua4 shi2 shuo1

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

實話實說 · find source passages ↗ · 实话实说 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

sat6 waa6 sat6 syut3

Cantonese word readings for 實話實說. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) to speak the truth; to call a spade a spade

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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