也就是说 ...
Use 也就是说 to restate the thing you just said in clearer or more concrete terms — 'in other words,' 'which is to say.' It's the connector you reach for when the first phrasing was abstract, technical, or roundabout and you want to spell out what it actually means for the listener. You'll hear it constantly in explanatory writing, news analysis, and any setting where the speaker needs to translate jargon into plain words.
Structure
[STATEMENT A]。也就是说, [RESTATEMENT B]。
yě jiùshì shuō...
How to Think About It
也就是说 is a paraphrase signal, not a new argument. What comes after must be the same idea as what came before, just clearer. If clause B introduces new information instead of restating clause A, you've used the wrong connector — try 而且 or 此外. Native writers use 也就是说 specifically to rescue a sentence that was technically correct but hard to grasp.
Examples
他是我爸爸的弟弟，也就是说，他是我叔叔。
Tā shì wǒ bàba de dìdi, yě jiù shì shuō, tā shì wǒ shūshu.
He's my dad's younger brother — that is, he's my uncle.
现在是九点，也就是说我们还有一个小时。
Xiànzài shì jiǔ diǎn, yě jiù shì shuō wǒmen hái yǒu yí ge xiǎoshí.
It's nine now — meaning we have one more hour.
这本书的作者是鲁迅，也就是中国最有名的作家之一。
Zhè běn shū de zuòzhě shì Lǔ Xùn, yě jiù shì Zhōngguó zuì yǒumíng de zuòjiā zhī yī.
This book's author is Lu Xun — that is, one of China's most famous writers.
他下个月二十五岁。也就是说，他比我大三岁。
Tā xià gè yuè èrshíwǔ suì. Yě jiùshì shuō, tā bǐ wǒ dà sān suì.
He'll be 25 next month. In other words, he's three years older than me.
这家店周一休息。也就是说，明天不开门。
Zhè jiā diàn zhōuyī xiūxi. Yě jiùshì shuō, míngtiān bù kāimén.
This shop is closed on Mondays. Which is to say, it won't be open tomorrow.
她已经签了合同。也就是说，她不能反悔了。
Tā yǐjīng qiān le hétong. Yě jiùshì shuō, tā bù néng fǎnhuǐ le.
She's already signed the contract. In other words, she can't back out now.
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.
Common Mistake
Learners use 也就是说 to add a new follow-up fact, treating it like English 'and also.' It's strictly a restatement marker; the second clause must paraphrase the first, not extend it.
他来自上海。也就是说，他还会说英语。
他来自上海。也就是说，他是上海人。
Don't Confuse With
就是说
Drop 也 and it becomes more direct, less concessive — same meaning, slightly more emphatic. Both work in speech.
换句话说
Literally 'in other words.' Same function as 也就是说 but slightly more deliberate. Use 也就是说 in flowing speech, 换句话说 when explicitly signaling a rephrase.
所以说
所以说 = 'therefore' (a conclusion). 也就是说 = 'in other words' (a restatement). Don't mix conclusions with restatements.
就是说...
就是说 is the casual, spoken cousin — looser and more conversational. 也就是说 is the formal restatement, suited to writing and explanation.
换句话说...
换句话说 ('in other words') is interchangeable in meaning but slightly more bookish. 也就是说 sits comfortably in both speech and writing.
Practice
他周一出生，___ 一年的开始。
Show answer
也就是说
他是我妈妈的妈妈，也就是我的 ___。
Show answer
外婆
Arrange: 我们 / 也就是说 / 这次 / 失败了 / 考试 / 没有 / 通过
Show answer
这次考试我们没有通过，也就是说失败了。
She doesn't eat meat — in other words, she's a vegetarian.
Show answer
她不吃肉，也就是说她是素食主义者。
State a fact and then clarify what it means using 也就是说.
Show answer
我每天工作十二个小时，也就是说我几乎没有自己的时间。
Fill in the blank: 他不接电话。___就是说，他不想跟你聊。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 14 Fluentide episodes:
也就是说，洪迪斯号变成了一张地图——一张通向全球每一个角落的疫情追踪地图。
也就是说，你得了这个病，你身边的人不会被你传上。
也就是说，HYROX 实际上把传统的'年轻精英健身'，变成了一个全民活动。
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 也就是说 ... 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.