"they say" meaning in English

See they say in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Phrase

Head templates: {{en-head|phr}} they say
  1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see they, say. Related terms: as they say, so they say, you know what they say, as the saying goes, word is
    Sense id: en-they_say-en-phrase-0OZyG93g
  2. Used to introduce a statement as common knowledge. (This entry is a translation hub.) Synonyms: it is commonly said, people say, people in general say, a common saying is Translations (it is commonly said): ка́зват (kázvat) (Bulgarian), 據說 /据说 (jùshuō) (Chinese Mandarin), 他們都説 /他们都说 (tāmen dōu shuō) (Chinese Mandarin), 人們説 /人们说 (rénmen shuō) (Chinese Mandarin), 他們説 /他们说 (tāmen shuō) (Chinese Mandarin), 別人都説 /别人都说 (biérén dōus huō) (Chinese Mandarin), niinhän sitä sanotaan, että... (Finnish), man sagt (German), es heißt (German), se zice (Romanian), man säger (Swedish), det heter (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-they_say-en-phrase-cVMUzm3r Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Romanian translations, Terms with Swedish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 28 72 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 33 67 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 32 68 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 30 70 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 21 79 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 24 76 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 24 76 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 18 82 Disambiguation of Terms with Romanian translations: 16 84 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 25 75 Disambiguation of 'it is commonly said': 16 84
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          "word": "so they say"
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          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "word": "you know what they say"
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          "_dis1": "100 0",
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          "ref": "c. 1626 or 1629–1633 (first performance), [John Ford], ’Tis Pitty Shee’s a Whore […], London: […] Nicholas Okes for Richard Collins, […], published 1633, →OCLC, Act I:",
          "text": "Take the worst with the best, there's Grimaldi the souldier, a very well-timbred fellow: they say he is a Roman, Nephew to the Duke Mount Ferratto; they say he did good service in the warrs against the Millanoys.",
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          "ref": "2003, The New Dimensions in Learning English, Rex Bookstore, Inc., →ISBN, page 447:",
          "text": "1. What are some of the things they said man would never do? 2. Name some dreams once thought of as impossible but have been realized. 3. Give examples of man's achievements[…]",
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          "ref": "2016, John A. Connell, Ruins of War, Berkley, →ISBN, page 251:",
          "text": "\"Let's talk about you. Why did you break up with the general?\" *: \"Maybe it's time I really got to know the lowly doughboy.\" […] *: \"A cop and a reporter...\" Mason rubbed his chin and feigned a thoughtful pause. \"Well, they said man would never fly.\"",
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      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "it is commonly said"
        },
        {
          "word": "people say"
        },
        {
          "word": "people in general say"
        },
        {
          "word": "a common saying is"
        }
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      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "16 84",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "lang_code": "bg",
          "roman": "kázvat",
          "sense": "it is commonly said",
          "word": "ка́зват"
        },
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          "_dis1": "16 84",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "lang_code": "cmn",
          "roman": "jùshuō",
          "sense": "it is commonly said",
          "word": "據說 /据说"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "16 84",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "lang_code": "cmn",
          "roman": "tāmen dōu shuō",
          "sense": "it is commonly said",
          "word": "他們都説 /他们都说"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "16 84",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "lang_code": "cmn",
          "roman": "rénmen shuō",
          "sense": "it is commonly said",
          "word": "人們説 /人们说"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "16 84",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "lang_code": "cmn",
          "roman": "tāmen shuō",
          "sense": "it is commonly said",
          "word": "他們説 /他们说"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "16 84",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "lang_code": "cmn",
          "roman": "biérén dōus huō",
          "sense": "it is commonly said",
          "word": "別人都説 /别人都说"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "16 84",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "lang_code": "fi",
          "sense": "it is commonly said",
          "word": "niinhän sitä sanotaan, että..."
        },
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          "lang": "German",
          "lang_code": "de",
          "sense": "it is commonly said",
          "word": "man sagt"
        },
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          "_dis1": "16 84",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "lang_code": "de",
          "sense": "it is commonly said",
          "word": "es heißt"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "16 84",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "lang_code": "ro",
          "sense": "it is commonly said",
          "word": "se zice"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "16 84",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "lang_code": "sv",
          "sense": "it is commonly said",
          "word": "man säger"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "16 84",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "lang_code": "sv",
          "sense": "it is commonly said",
          "word": "det heter"
        }
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    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "lang_code": "bg",
      "roman": "kázvat",
      "sense": "it is commonly said",
      "word": "ка́зват"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "lang_code": "cmn",
      "roman": "jùshuō",
      "sense": "it is commonly said",
      "word": "據說 /据说"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "lang_code": "cmn",
      "roman": "tāmen dōu shuō",
      "sense": "it is commonly said",
      "word": "他們都説 /他们都说"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "lang_code": "cmn",
      "roman": "rénmen shuō",
      "sense": "it is commonly said",
      "word": "人們説 /人们说"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "lang_code": "cmn",
      "roman": "tāmen shuō",
      "sense": "it is commonly said",
      "word": "他們説 /他们说"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "lang_code": "cmn",
      "roman": "biérén dōus huō",
      "sense": "it is commonly said",
      "word": "別人都説 /别人都说"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "it is commonly said",
      "word": "niinhän sitä sanotaan, että..."
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "lang_code": "de",
      "sense": "it is commonly said",
      "word": "man sagt"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "lang_code": "de",
      "sense": "it is commonly said",
      "word": "es heißt"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "lang_code": "ro",
      "sense": "it is commonly said",
      "word": "se zice"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "lang_code": "sv",
      "sense": "it is commonly said",
      "word": "man säger"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "lang_code": "sv",
      "sense": "it is commonly said",
      "word": "det heter"
    }
  ],
  "word": "they say"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-16 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (d6fca27 and 65e1673). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.