Chinese word

按理说

Pronunciation

Pinyinàn lǐ shuō

Meaning

  • adverbby rights

Example

按理说你应该早点告诉我。àn lǐ shuō nǐ yīng gāi záo diǎn gào sù wǒ

By rights, you should have told me earlier.

Illustration for 按理说 (by rights)

More examples

按理说这份工作不会这么快完成。àn lǐ shuō zhè fèn gōng zuò bú huì zhè me kuài wán chéng

By rights, this job should not be finished so quickly.

Core concept

A mental benchmark for how things should ordinarily turn out.

Common phrases

  • 按理说应该àn lǐ shuō yīng gāi

    should by rights

  • 按理说才对àn lǐ shuō cái duì

    should be so

Similar words

按道理àn dào lǐ: Expresses what seems normal when a situation is considered according to reason.
照理说zhào lǐ shuō: Expresses what should normally be the case when the facts are considered logically.
理应lǐ yīng: States that something ought naturally to be so according to reason.
本应běn yīng: States that something should have been so under the original circumstances.

Definition in Chinese

按理说（副词），依据道理或常理对事情作出的一般性判断或期待，既可用于口语也可出现在书面语中，语气未必绝对肯定。àn lǐ shuō fù cí yī jù dào lǐ huò cháng lǐ duì shì qíng zuò chū de yì bān xìng pàn duàn huò qī dài jì kě yòng yú kóu yǔ yě kě chū xiàn zài shū miàn yǔ zhōng yǔ qì wèi bì jué duì kěn dìng

Word origin

The phrase is formed from 按 (àn, "according to"), 理 (lǐ, "reason"), and 说 (shuō, "say"), so it presents an expected conclusion from a reasonable standard rather than a guaranteed fact.

Usage tips

  • Unlike a firm prediction, it can introduce an exception or surprise, separating what should happen from what actually happens.

Other meanings

  • in theoryadverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 按理àn lǐin theoryadverb

Word lists with this word