就是说...
Reach for 就是说 when you want to restate or clarify something in plainer terms — 'that is to say / in other words / what I mean is.' It bridges a complex statement and a simpler restatement, signaling 'let me put that another way.' Common in lectures, podcasts, customer service, and any explanation where the speaker wants to make sure the listener got the point. It's neutral in tone — neither blunt like 说白了 nor fancy like 换言之.
Structure
[ORIGINAL STATEMENT]。就是说，[RESTATEMENT]
jiùshì shuō,...
How to Think About It
就是说 is the 'subtitle' marker — it tells the listener 'the next sentence is the captioned, simplified version of what I just said.' The 就是 locks the two halves as equivalents; the 说 keeps it conversational. If you swap 就是说 for 也就是说 you get a slightly softer, more conversational feel. Drop 就是说 entirely and you have two facts; add it and you have one fact in two phrasings.
Examples
他要的是质量。就是说，价格不是问题。
Tā yào de shì zhìliàng. Jiùshì shuō, jiàgé bú shì wèntí.
He wants quality. In other words, price isn't the issue.
工厂关门了。就是说，今年没有订单了。
Gōngchǎng guānmén le. Jiùshì shuō, jīnnián méiyǒu dìngdān le.
The factory closed. That is to say, there are no orders this year.
他没接电话。就是说，他可能不想谈这件事。
Tā méi jiē diànhuà. Jiùshì shuō, tā kěnéng bù xiǎng tán zhè jiàn shì.
He didn't answer the phone. In other words, he probably doesn't want to talk about it.
Common Mistake
Learners use 就是说 to add a new point instead of restating the previous one. The pattern requires that what follows is genuinely a rephrasing, not new information.
他不来了。就是说，明天还有一个会议。
他不来了。就是说，他改变主意了。
Don't Confuse With
也就是说...
Nearly identical; 也就是说 sounds slightly more conversational and inclusive. 就是说 is more direct.
换句话说...
换句话说 ('in other words') is more formal / written. 就是说 is the spoken default.
说白了...
说白了 strips away politeness to expose the blunt truth. 就是说 is neutral — just a rephrase, not a callout.
Practice
Fill in the blank: 他要的是质量。就 ___ 说，价格不是问题。
Show answer
是
Fill in the blank: 工厂关门了。___ 说，今年没有订单了。
Show answer
就是
Arrange: 价格 / 就是说，/ 不是 / 问题 / 。
Show answer
就是说，价格不是问题。
Translate to Chinese: He didn't answer the phone. In other words, he doesn't want to talk.
Show answer
他没接电话。就是说，他不想谈。
Write two sentences using 就是说 to restate a fact more clearly.
Show answer
他每天加班。就是说，他没有时间陪家人。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: