HSK 7
按说
àn shuō
按说 - In theory / By rights
Explanation
按说 (ànshuō) is used to put forward an inference based on common reasoning ('by rights', 'according to common sense'), and then to state a reality that turns out to be DIFFERENT from that inference.
按说 (ànshuō) + common-sense inference, 可是/但是/可 (kěshì / dànshì / kě, but) + the contrasting reality. 按说 usually stands at the beginning of the sentence or of a clause.
when you want to say 'by rights it should be this way, but in reality it isn't'. Very common in both speech and writing, carrying a tone of remark and slight surprise.
按说 (ànshuō) always implies 'the reality is the opposite', so it is almost always followed by a 可是/但是 clause; whereas 按理说 (ànlǐshuō) is nearly identical in meaning and interchangeable.
using 按说 but forgetting the contrasting 可是/但是 clause that follows, leaving the sentence unfinished in meaning; or misreading 按说 as 'to speak according to' — it does not mean that, but rather 'judging by common sense'.
Examples
By rights it is now the off-season for vegetable supply, yet the variety of vegetables here is still quite considerable.
By rights it should be snowing at this time of year, yet this year there hasn't been a single snowfall.
Practice
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Learn “按说” effectively
The grammar point “按说” (按说 - In theory / By rights) is one of the key structures at HSK 7. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
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