Usage of the character 说

lit. Ying writes a letter and Yan reads it
fig. to misinterpret the original meaning
to pile up errors
refers to the letter from capital 郢 ( Yǐng) of 楚 ( Chǔ) in which the inadvertent words "hold up the candle" are mistaken by the minister of 燕 ( Yān) as "promote the wise"

wúhuàbùshuō

无话不说

[無話不說]

(of close friends etc) to tell each other everything

xìnkǒuhúshuō

信口胡说

[信口胡說]

to speak without thinking; to blurt sth out

duǎnpiānxiǎoshuō

短篇小说

[短篇小說]

short story

zìyuán-qíshuō

自圆其说

[自圓其說]

to make a story or theory consistent; to give a plausible explanation; to plug the holes in one's story

zhèjiùshìshuō

这就是说

[這就是說]

in other words
that is to say

guāngshuōbùliàn

光说不练

[光說不練]

all talk and no action (idiom)
to preach what one does not practice
same as 光說不做／光说不做 (guāngshuōbùzuò)

yángéláishuō

严格来说

[嚴格來說]

strictly speaking

tánqíngshuō'ài

谈情说爱

[談情說愛]

to murmur endearments (idiom)
to get into a romantic relationship

yǒushuōyǒuxiào

有说有笑

[有說有笑]

talking and laughing
to jest
cheerful and lively

Tàijí Túshuō

太极图说

[太極圖說]

philosophical book by Song dynasty scholar Zhou Dunyi 周敦頤／周敦颐 ( Zhōu Dūnyí), starting from an interpretation of the Book of Changes

kēhuànxiǎoshuō

科幻小说

[科幻小說]

science fiction novel

shuōláihuàcháng

说来话长

[說來話長]

start explaining and it's a long story (idiom); complicated and not easy to express succinctly

wēixíngxiǎoshuō

微型小说

[微型小說]

flash fiction

shuōzhewánr

说着玩儿

[說著玩兒]

erhua variant of 說著玩／说着玩 (shuōzhewán)

dànshuōwúfáng

但说无妨

[但說無妨]

there is no harm in saying what one thinks (idiom)

nàháiyòngshuō

那还用说

[那還用説]

that goes without saying

shǐzhuànxiǎoshuō

史传小说

[史傳小說]

historical novel

héngshuōshùshuō

横说竖说

[橫說豎說]

to explain sth over and over again
to repeat

jùtǐshuōmíng

具体说明

[具體說明]

to specify
specific details

hǎoshuōdǎishuō

好说歹说

[好說歹說]

(idiom) to try one's very best to persuade sb; to reason with sb in every way possible

húzhōu-luànshuō

胡诌乱说

[胡謅亂說]

(idiom) to talk random nonsense; to say whatever comes into one's head

chángpiānxiǎoshuō

长篇小说

[長篇小說]

novel

zhòngshuōfēnróu

众说纷揉

[眾說紛揉]

lit. diverse opinions confused and divided (idiom); opinions differ
controversial matters

xūgòuxiǎoshuō

虚构小说

[虛構小說]

fiction

èrhuà-bùshuō

二话不说

[二話不說]

(idiom) not saying anything further; not raising any objection; without demur

mínjiānchuánshuō

民间传说

[民間傳說]

popular tradition
folk legend

bùyóufēnshuō

不由分说

[不由分說]

to allow no explanation

guāngshuōbùzuò

光说不做

[光說不做]

(idiom) to be all talk and no action; to preach what one does not practice

wúhuàkěshuō

无话可说

[無話可說]

to have nothing to say (idiom)

jǔlìláishuō

举例来说

[舉例來說]

for example

zhōngpiānxiǎoshuō

中篇小说

[中篇小說]

novella

húshuōbādào

胡说八道

[胡說八道]

to talk rubbish

tōngsúxiǎoshuō

通俗小说

[通俗小說]

popular fiction
light literature

dàotīngtúshuō

道听途说

[道聽途說]

gossip; hearsay; rumor

shuōdeguòqù

说得过去

[說得過去]

acceptable
passable
justifiable
(of a course of action) to make sense

èrhuà-méishuō

二话没说

[二話沒說]

see 二話不說／二话不说 (èrhuà-bushuo)

jiǎndāndeshuō

简单地说

[簡單地說]

to put it simply; simply put

wǔxiáxiǎoshuō

武侠小说

[武俠小說]

a martial arts (wuxia) novel

chīrénshuōmèng

痴人说梦

[痴人說夢]

lunatic ravings; nonsense

shíhuàshíshuō

实话实说

[實話實說]

to tell the truth
to tell it as it is

zhòngshuōfēnyún

众说纷纭

[眾說紛紜]

opinions differ (idiom)

shuōyībù'èr

说一不二

[說一不二]

to say one and mean just that (idiom); to keep one's word

bùshuōzìmíng

不说自明

[不說自明]

goes without saying; obvious; self-evident

shuōhuàsuànshù

说话算数

[說話算數]

to keep one's promise; to mean what one says

shǎoshuōwéijiā

少说为佳

[少說為佳]

Few words are best.
Brevity is the soul of wit.

shuōbuguòqù

说不过去

[說不過去]

cannot be justified
inexcusable

huànjùhuàshuō

换句话说

[換句話說]

in other words

xiànshēnshuōfǎ

现身说法

[現身說法]

to talk from one's personal experience
to use oneself as an example

shuōdōngdàoxī

说东道西

[說東道西]

to chat about this and that
to talk about anything and everything

Shìshuō Xīnyǔ

世说新语

[世說新語]

A New Account of the Tales of the World, collection of anecdotes, conversations, remarks etc of historic personalities, compiled and edited by Liu Yiqing 劉義慶／刘义庆 ( Liú Yìqìng)

chánghuàduǎnshuō

长话短说

[長話短說]

to make a long story short (idiom)

tújiěshuōmíng

图解说明

[圖解說明]

explanatory diagram

yánqíngxiǎoshuō

言情小说

[言情小說]

romance novel
romantic fiction

shuōfēngliánghuà

说风凉话

[說風涼話]

to sneer
to make cynical remarks
sarcastic talk

shénmóxiǎoshuō

神魔小说

[神魔小說]

supernatural novel
novel of ghosts and goblins

yějiùshìshuō

也就是说

[也就是說]

in other words
that is to say
so
thus

chángyánshuōdehǎo

常言说得好

[常言說得好]

as the saying goes; as they say...

shuōhuàbùdànghuà

说话不当话

[說話不當話]

to fail to keep to one's word
to break a promise

zhāogǔshuōmíngshū

招股说明书

[招股說明書]

prospectus

zhēngyǎnshuōxiāhuà

睁眼说瞎话

[睜眼說瞎話]

(idiom) to lie through one's teeth; to talk drivel

shuōhuàyàosuànshù

说话要算数

[說話要算數]

promises must be kept

Dá'ěrwénxuéshuō

达尔文学说

[達爾文學說]

Darwinism

zàihuóhuàjiǎshuō

再活化假说

[再活化假說]

reactivation hypothesis

jíduǎnpiānxiǎoshuō

极短篇小说

[極短篇小說]

flash fiction

shuōbùchūhuàlái

说不出话来

[說不出話來]

speechless

hǎidǐkuòzhāngshuō

海底扩张说

[海底擴張說]

theory of seafloor spreading (geology)

kōngkǒushuōbáihuà

空口说白话

[空口說白話]

to make empty promises

huàyòushuōhuílai

话又说回来

[話又說回來]

(but) then again; (but) on the other hand

Fēizhōudānyuánshuō

非洲单源说

[非洲單源說]

single origin out of Africa (current mainstream theory of human evolution)

yǒukǔshuōbuchū

有苦说不出

[有苦說不出]

having unspeakable bitter suffering
(often used after 啞巴吃黃連／哑巴吃黄连 (yǎbachīhuánglián))

Shuōwén Jiězì Zhù

说文解字注

[說文解字註]

Commentary on Shuowen Jiezi (1815) by Duan Yucai 段玉裁 ( Duàn Yùcái)

shuōnǐpàngnǐjiùchuǎn

说你胖你就喘

[說你胖你就喘]

lit. when someone tells you you're fat, you pant (as if you were actually fat) (idiom)
fig. Hey! I pay you a compliment, and you start bragging! (typically jocular and teasing)
flattery, like perfume, should be smelled, not swallowed

kējìjīngsǒngxiǎoshuō

科技惊悚小说

[科技驚悚小說]

techno-thriller novel

Zhōngguó Xiǎoshuō Shǐlüè

中国小说史略

[中國小說史略]

Concise History of the Chinese Novel by Lu Xun 魯迅／鲁迅 ( Lǔ Xùn)

chǒuhuàshuōzàiqiántou

丑话说在前头

[醜話說在前頭]

let's talk about the unpleasant things first; let's be frank

shuō Cáo Cāo Cáo Cāojiùdào

说曹操曹操就到

[說曹操曹操就到]

lit. speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives
fig. speak of the devil and he doth appear

zhēngzheyǎnjīngshuōxiāhuà

睁着眼睛说瞎话

[睜著眼睛說瞎話]

(idiom) to lie through one's teeth; to talk drivel

zhànzheshuōhuàbùyāoténg

站着说话不腰疼

[站著說話不腰疼]

lit. it's all very well to talk, but getting things done is another matter (idiom)
fig. to be an armchair expert; to blabber on

shuōyīqiān,dàoyīwàn

说一千，道一万

[說一千，道一萬]

when all is said and done
at the end of the day

shuōshíchí,nàshíkuài

说时迟，那时快

[說時遲，那時快]

(idiom) no sooner said than done
before you know it

shuō Cáo Cāo, Cáo Cāodào

说曹操，曹操到

[說曹操，曹操到]

see 說曹操曹操就到／说曹操曹操就到 (shuō Cáo Cāo Cáo Cāojiùdào)

dǎkāitiānchuāngshuōliànghuà

打开天窗说亮话

[打開天窗說亮話]

(let's) not mince words; (let's) not beat about the bush

yījiārénbùshuōliǎngjiāhuà

一家人不说两家话

[一家人不說兩家話]

lit. family members speak frankly with one another, not courteously, as if they were from two different families (idiom)
fig. people don't need to be deferential when they ask a family member for help
people from the same family should stick together (and good friends likewise)

chībùdàopútaoshuōpútaosuān

吃不到葡萄说葡萄酸

[吃不到葡萄說葡萄酸]