但是我也得跟你说实话
“But I must be honest with you.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
“you've been my subordinate for years. I know your capabilities well.”
但 是我 也得 跟你说实话
“But I must be honest with you.”
你要真想去上海的话 你必须有一份
“If you really want to go to Shanghai, you need a truly impactful report as your calling card.”
“Brace yourself; the compliments are over, and here comes the cold reality.”
Chinese superiors often sandwich direct criticism between praise and explicit verbal markers like 'speaking the truth' to mitigate face loss while maintaining mentor authority.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
to speak frankly; to tell the truth
A common conversational preface used right before delivering candid opinions or unwelcome realities.
I also have to / I must
Framing the impending criticism as an unavoidable personal duty rather than malice.
