长话短说
长话短说 (cháng huà duǎn shuō) literally means “long story briefly tell” and expresses “make a long story short”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving relationships and character.
Also searched as: chang hua duan shuo, chang hua duan shuo,长话短说 meaning, 长话短说 in english
Make a long story short
Pronunciation: cháng huà duǎn shuō Literal meaning: Long story briefly tell
Origin & Usage
Long talk (长话) told short (短说). This belongs to the vernacular storytelling register rather than to classical literature — it is the phrase a speaker uses on themselves, to signal that they are cutting a long account down before they start, and it has no source text. Chinese uses it exactly as English uses "to make a long story short," and in the same position in the sentence. The paired 长/短 and 话/说 are what make it stick.
Examples
English: "Rather than explaining all details, the presenter summarized the key findings"
Chinese: 演讲者没有解释所有细节，而是总结了关键发现
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about relationships & character
取长补短
qǔ cháng bǔ duǎn
Combine strengths to overcome weaknesses
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道听途说
dào tīng tú shuō
Unreliable information from casual hearsay
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天长地久
tiān cháng dì jiǔ
Everlasting; eternal
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扬长避短
yáng cháng bì duǎn
Play to one's strengths
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拔苗助长
bá miáo zhù zhǎng
Ruin through impatient intervention
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揠苗助长
yà miáo zhù zhǎng
Harmful interference ruins growth
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敬业乐群
jìng yè lè qún
Balance excellence with social harmony
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乐于助人
lè yú zhù rén
Find genuine pleasure in helping others
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 长话短说 mean in English?
长话短说 (cháng huà duǎn shuō) literally translates to “Long story briefly tell” and is used to express “Make a long story short”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Relationships & Character category.
When is 长话短说 used?
Situation: Rather than explaining all details, the presenter summarized the key findings
What is the pinyin for 长话短说?
The pinyin pronunciation for 长话短说 is “cháng huà duǎn shuō”.