也就是说
Reach for 也就是说 when you want to rephrase what you just said in plainer or sharper terms — 'in other words,' 'that is to say.' It is the writer's and analyst's favorite connector for translating numbers into meaning, complexity into a takeaway, or jargon into everyday language. After a dense fact ('今年比去年少了四亿元'), drop 也就是说 and deliver the punchline ('生意明显变差了'). It pivots the sentence from data to interpretation and gives the listener a clear handhold.
Structure
[STATEMENT 1] 。也就是说 ，[REPHRASE / IMPLICATION] 。
yě jiùshì shuō
How to Think About It
也就是说 is sentence-level glue, not phrase-level. It sits at the front of a fresh clause and signals 'I'm about to translate what I just said into something easier or more pointed.' The two halves are not adding new information — they are restating the same idea at a different level of abstraction. If your second clause introduces new facts, you want 而且 or 还; if it draws a conclusion FROM the first, 所以 fits better.
Examples
他每天工作十二个小时。也就是说，他几乎没有自己的时间。
Tā měi tiān gōngzuò shí'èr gè xiǎoshí. Yě jiùshì shuō, tā jīhū méiyǒu zìjǐ de shíjiān.
He works twelve hours a day. In other words, he has almost no time for himself.
今年的收入比去年少了一半。也就是说，公司的情况很不好。
Jīnnián de shōurù bǐ qùnián shǎo le yíbàn. Yě jiùshì shuō, gōngsī de qíngkuàng hěn bù hǎo.
This year's revenue is half of last year's. In other words, the company is in bad shape.
他已经三天没回消息了。也就是说，他不想跟你说话。
Tā yǐjīng sān tiān méi huí xiāoxi le. Yě jiùshì shuō, tā bù xiǎng gēn nǐ shuō huà.
He hasn't replied for three days. In other words, he doesn't want to talk to you.
Common Mistake
Learners use 也就是说 to add a fresh fact, as if it meant 'also' or 'furthermore.' Native speakers expect the second clause to be a paraphrase or logical consequence of the first — adding unrelated info sounds disconnected.
他喜欢中国菜。也就是说，他也喜欢日本菜。
他每天都吃中国菜。也就是说，他真的很喜欢中国菜。
Don't Confuse With
换句话说
Same function ('in other words'), slightly more formal and writerly. 换句话说 is more common in essays; 也就是说 sits comfortably in both speech and writing.
所以...
所以 draws a NEW conclusion from a cause; 也就是说 just rephrases the same idea. If the second half is a fresh logical step, use 所以; if it's the same point in different words, use 也就是说.
就是说
Shorter, more casual version often heard in speech. Same meaning, but 也就是说 carries slightly more weight and feels more deliberate.
Practice
他二十年没回家了。___，他和家人几乎没有联系。
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也就是说
她每天只睡四个小时。也就是 ___，她非常累。
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说
Put in order: [也就是说 / 房价 / 涨了 / 一倍 / 我们 / 买不起 / 了]
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房价涨了一倍，也就是说我们买不起了。
Translate to Chinese: 'The store closes at 9 p.m. In other words, we have to get there before 9.'
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这家店九点关门。也就是说，我们要在九点以前到。
State a number or fact about your life, then translate it into a takeaway using 也就是说.
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Example answer: 我已经学了三年中文了。也就是说，我现在应该能看懂大部分新闻。 (I've been studying Chinese for three years. In other words, I should be able to understand most news now.)