实话
shí huà · HSK 7
truth
💬 实话 = real/solid (实) + speech (话) = real words, the truth
实 means real or solid (same 实 as in 实在, 'real'); 话 means speech or words. Real words spoken = the plain truth. 说实话 literally 'speak real words' means 'to tell the truth'.
话 — speech radical 讠 (言) + tongue 舌
话 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left side 讠 (simplified from 言, 'speech') gives the meaning, signaling something said, while 舌 ('tongue') hints at the sound and reinforces the speaking sense. The traditional form 話 makes the 言 element explicit; today 话 means 'speech, talk, words.'