Meaning of 传言
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- rumor
- hearsay
How to use 传言
传言 is mostly used as a noun meaning a rumor or something people are saying, often in news or formal writing. It pairs with verbs like 听到 (hear), 否认 (deny) and 证实 (confirm). Example: 公司否认了这个传言。(Gōngsī fǒurèn le zhège chuányán.) The company denied the rumor.
传 (chuán) means to pass along and 言 (yán) means words or speech. Words that get passed from person to person become 传言, a rumor.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 传言 with 传说 (chuánshuō). 传说 usually means a legend or folk tale from the past, while 传言 is a current rumor that may or may not be true. Also note that 传 here is chuán, not zhuàn as in 自传 (zìzhuàn, autobiography).
传言 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
传 chuán · to pass on · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
言 yán · words · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 传言.
| 语言 | yǔyán | language |
| 传说 | chuánshuō | legend; folk tale; to repeat from mouth to mouth; they say that... |
| 宣传 | xuānchuán | to disseminate; to give publicity to |
| 传播 | chuánbō | to disseminate; to propagate; to spread |
| 发言 | fāyán | to make a speech; statement |
| 传来 | chuánlái | (of a sound) to come through; to be heard |
| 传统 | chuántǒng | tradition; traditional |
| 遗传 | yíchuán | heredity; to inherit (a trait) |
| 流传 | liúchuán | to spread; to circulate; to hand down |
| 传达 | chuándá | to pass on; to convey |
| 传递 | chuándì | to transmit; to pass on to sb else; (math.) transitive |
| 言语 | yányǔ | words; speech |
Questions about 传言
What does 传言 mean?
传言 (chuányán) means "rumor; hearsay" and is used as a noun and verb.
How do you write 传言?
传言 is made of 2 characters: 传 (6 strokes), 言 (7 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 传言 an HSK word?
Yes. 传言 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 传言 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 传言 is written 傳言.
What is the difference between 传言 and 谣言?
谣言 (yáoyán) is a rumor that is assumed to be false or harmful. 传言 is more neutral. It just means something people are saying, whether it turns out to be true or not.
Can 传言 be used as a verb?
Yes, but this is less common and sounds formal. It means to spread word or to be said, as in 有人传言他要辞职 (Yǒu rén chuányán tā yào cízhí), Someone is saying he will resign. In everyday speech, people usually say 听说 (tīngshuō) or 有人说 instead.