A coworker tells you a new restaurant just opened downtown. You haven't eaten there yourself, but you want to pass the word along to a Chinese-speaking friend — without claiming it as your own experience. That's exactly what 据说 (jùshuō) — It Is Said That / Reportedly — lets you do in Mandarin.
据说 (jùshuō) sits at the very beginning of a sentence to introduce hearsay or reported information. It must always come first — never after a subject like 我 (wǒ) or 他 (tā). The structure is simple: 据说 + Clause.
Here's the example you'll work with:
据说那家新餐厅的菜特别好吃。(jù shuō nà jiā xīn cān tīng de cài tè bié hǎo chī。) — "Apparently, the food at that new restaurant is really good."
By leading with 据说, you signal that you heard this from someone else rather than witnessed it yourself. After this lesson, you can share news, gossip, and unverified information in Chinese with that same clarity.
This is a live conversation lesson — you talk out loud with AI teacher Mei Lin in real time, by voice, not typing. Mei Lin corrects your grammar and pronunciation in the flow of conversation and adapts to your level. Each lesson targets one specific grammar pattern and takes roughly 10 minutes. In Sharing News and Rumors, you'll practice building sentences that start with 据说, responding to prompts about news and gossip you've heard.
The first lesson is free to try — no credit card required to start talking.
When you're ready, explore more HSK 5 lessons to keep building intermediate grammar. You can also try Stating Your Purpose or Pushing Back Politely — two more HSK 5 live lessons. And if you want to reinforce characters by hand, the free printable Chinese worksheet generator offers ready-made packs covering HSK 1–3 words.
据说 (jùshuō) means "It Is Said That / Reportedly." You place it at the very beginning of a sentence to introduce hearsay or reported information, signaling that you heard it from someone else rather than witnessed it yourself. For example, 据说那家新餐厅的菜特别好吃 means "Apparently, the food at that new restaurant is really good."
据说 always comes first — before any subject like 我 or 他. The structure is 据说 + Clause. You never place it after a subject; it must lead the sentence to clearly mark what follows as reported information rather than something you observed directly.
You'll talk out loud with AI teacher Mei Lin, building sentences that start with 据说 to share news, gossip, and unverified information. Mei Lin corrects your grammar and pronunciation in real time, and the Sharing News and Rumors lesson takes roughly 10 minutes to complete.
Yes — the first lesson is free to try, with no credit card required to start talking. You can also explore more HSK 5 lessons or use the free Chinese worksheet generator for handwriting practice alongside your speaking work.