说不上 shuōbushàng to be unable to say or tell
to be unable to say or tell; to not be worth mentioning
How to remember 说不上: 说 say + 不 not + 上 above = to be unable to say or tell.
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How it is used
- Can't quite say / not worth calling it that - 说不上喜欢，也说不上讨厌 (shuōbushàng xǐhuan, yě shuōbushàng tǎoyàn) can't really say I like it or dislike it.
- Also 'doesn't rise to the level of': 这说不上是错误 (this can't be called a mistake).
- Spoken, hedging expression. Contrast 说不出 (shuōbuchū, unable to voice), which is about being lost for words.