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.
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...
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.
意思是...
意思是 introduces a definition of a word or phrase. 也就是说 paraphrases a whole idea or sentence.
Practice
Fill in the blank: 他不接电话。___就是说，他不想跟你聊。
Show answer
也
Fill in the blank: 票卖完了。也就是___，今天不能进去了。
Show answer
说
Arrange: 也就是说 / 不在 / 他 / 家 / 现在
Show answer
他现在不在，也就是说，他不在家。
Translate to Chinese: He got the job. In other words, he doesn't need to keep interviewing.
Show answer
他得到了工作。也就是说，他不用再面试了。
Write a two-clause sentence using 也就是说 to restate a fact about yourself.
Show answer
我每天工作十二个小时。也就是说，我几乎没有时间休息。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 6 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。