说实话

The word '说实话' is composed of three characters: '说' (shuō), '实话' (shíhuà). '说' means 'to speak' or 'to say'. '实' (shí) means 'true', 'real', or 'honest'. '话' (huà) means 'speech', 'word', or 'talk'. Therefore, '实话' literally means 'true words' or 'honest speech'. When combined, '说实话' means 'to speak true words' or 'to tell the truth', emphasizing honesty and openness in communication. This phrase is commonly used in everyday conversation to introduce a statement that the speaker wants to emphasize as being truthful or candid.