Bié zài shuō gōngwéihuà le, wǒmen tán zhèngshì ba.
Stop with the flattery — let's get down to business.
Tips
usage
恭维话 carries a hint of insincerity — the words sound nice but the speaker is buttering you up. For genuine praise use 称赞 chēngzàn or 夸奖 kuājiǎng. The verb form is 恭维 gōngwéi ('to flatter').
memory
恭 (respectful) + 维 (to maintain) + 话 (words) — literally 'respect-maintaining words', exactly what flattery is: speech engineered to keep someone feeling good about themselves.
