（要）从…说起
the story goes back to …; to begin with …
Structure
（这／话） 要／得 从 起点（时间／事件／人） 说起
What it means
Answers a “why” or a “how” by going back to where it all began: “the story goes back to …”. The starting point is a year, an event or a person.
How it is built
(这／话) + 要／得 + 从 + starting point + 说起: 这股热潮要从2022年说起 (This craze goes back to 2022). It usually follows a question, asked or implied: …是怎么来的？ 为什么…？
When to use it
Features, explainers and documentaries. 要 is neutral, 得 more spoken; 话要从…说起 and 这一切要从…说起 are stock openings, often after 说来话长 (it’s a long story). 讲起 and 谈起 work too.
Watch out
The verb is 说起: ✗要从2022年说起来。 ✓要从2022年说起。 Do not confuse it with 从…起 (从明年起, from next year on) or with 提起 (at the mention of).
Examples
这股热潮是怎么来的？流传最广的说法要从2022年说起。
Where did the craze come from? The most widely told story starts in 2022.
杭州为什么被称为“电商之都”？这得从1999年阿里巴巴在这里创办说起。
Why is Hangzhou called the capital of e-commerce? For that we have to go back to 1999, when Alibaba was founded there.
他们俩为什么一见面就吵？说来话长，要从十年前的一笔借款说起。
Why do those two start arguing the moment they meet? It’s a long story; it goes back to a loan ten years ago.
Learn this in Lesson 137 · HSK 7–9: 淄博烧烤 (The Zibo barbecue craze)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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