X 也就是 Y
Reach for 也就是 when you've said something dense, jargony, or roundabout, and now you want to rephrase it in plainer words — 'X, that is to say, Y.' Common in explanatory writing, podcasts, lectures, and any moment when you suspect your listener didn't fully get the first version. Slightly formal; the spoken cousin is '就是' or '换句话说'.
Structure
[X], 也就是 [Y] / [X], 也就是说 [Y]
...yě jiùshì... / yě jiùshì shuō...
How to Think About It
也就是 is an equals sign in the middle of a sentence. X and Y point at the SAME thing — Y is just X said more usefully (a definition, a number translated into plain language, a fancy term turned into ordinary words). Adding 说 — 也就是说 — pulls the focus onto the rephrasing act itself ('what I mean is...'). Without 说, the pattern just glues two labels together; with 说, you're stepping in to clarify.
Examples
他是程序员, 也就是写代码的人。
Tā shì chéngxùyuán, yě jiùshì xiě dàimǎ de rén.
He's a programmer — that is, someone who writes code.
他下周来, 也就是说我们还有时间准备。
Tā xià zhōu lái, yě jiùshì shuō wǒmen hái yǒu shíjiān zhǔnbèi.
He'll arrive next week — meaning we still have time to prepare.
她退休了, 也就是不用再上班了。
Tā tuìxiū le, yě jiùshì bù yòng zài shàngbān le.
She's retired — in other words, she doesn't have to work anymore.
Common Mistake
Learners use 也就是 for any 'and also' or 'in addition' relationship, treating 也 as a coordinator. Here, 也就是 is a fixed phrase meaning 'that is.' Don't put new information in Y — Y has to be a restatement, not an extension.
他是医生, 也就是他妻子是老师。
他是儿科医生, 也就是专门看小孩的医生。
Don't Confuse With
就是
More casual restatement, common in speech. 也就是 sounds more measured and explanatory. In writing, prefer 也就是; in chat, 就是 is fine.
换句话说
'In other words.' Stronger pivot — you're explicitly resetting the explanation. 也就是 is a softer aside; 换句话说 is a deliberate paraphrase.
比如
Introduces an EXAMPLE of X, not a restatement of X. '水果，比如苹果' (fruit, for example apples) vs. '水果, 也就是含水分的食物' (fruit, that is, water-containing food).
Practice
他来了, ___ 我们可以开始了。
Show answer
也就是说
AI, ___ 人工智能, 最近发展得很快。
Show answer
也就是
Put in order: [她 / 也就是 / 老板 / 是 / 我的 / CEO]
Show answer
她是CEO, 也就是我的老板。
Translate to Chinese: 'He didn't come, which means we have to wait.'
Show answer
他没来, 也就是说我们得等一下。
Write one sentence that defines a word or restates an idea, using 也就是.
Show answer
Example answer: 北漂，也就是在北京打工的外地人。 (Beipiao — that is, out-of-town workers living in Beijing.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear X 也就是 Y in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start, no card.