HSK 7–9 grammar · adverb
按说
按说 — by rights, normally speaking
Pattern
+ +
( ) can be left out · other words may come before, between and after
How it works
按说 states what ought to be the case by ordinary reasoning, and almost always sets up a "but" that reports what actually happened. Without that contrast it sounds unfinished.
Examples
按说他早该到了，可是还没来。
Ànshuō tā zǎo gāi dào le, kěshì hái méi lái.
By rights he should have arrived long ago, but he still isn't here.
按说这个季节不会下雪。
Ànshuō zhège jìjié bú huì xià xuě.
Normally it wouldn't snow this time of year.
Related
See it in a story
In the app, 按说 is underlined wherever it appears in the stories you read, and practised with sentences from them. Free.