Call a Spade a Spade

In Chinese there is a common saying, “一是一，二是二”(Yī shì yī，èr shì èr) which literally means “one is one and two is two”. It signifies keeping the true and original appearance of something without adding or reducing anything. Metaphorically, it describes an honest and sincere person who doesn’t lie in word or deed, but speaks truthfully and unambiguously – a person who speaks without embellishment. So when you meet such a person or you want to know the truth of something, you can use this phrase “一是一，二是二”