有一说一，有二说二

有一說一，有二說二

yǒuyīshuōyī,yǒuèrshuōèr

idiom

Meanings

1 to call things as they are
2 to tell it like it is
3 to be straightforward

Characters

Examples

我这个人有一说一，有二说二，从不拐弯抹角。

Wǒ zhège rén yǒu yī shuō yī, yǒu èr shuō èr, cóng bù guǎiwānmòjiǎo.

I'm the kind of person who tells it like it is — never beating around the bush.

他有一说一，有二说二，老板很欣赏。

Tā yǒu yī shuō yī, yǒu èr shuō èr, lǎobǎn hěn xīnshǎng.

He calls things as they are, and the boss really appreciates it.

Tips

usage

Colloquial set phrase praising bluntness. Has surged on Chinese social media in recent years as a setup for honest opinions: "有一说一, the food was actually really good."

register

Spoken/informal. The shorter form 有一说一 is even more common online; the full 有一说一，有二说二 sounds slightly more emphatic and old-school.

Stroke Order

有 yǒu

一 yī

说 shuō

二 èr