亲闻 (qīn wén) — to hear with one's own ears; to hear firsthand (formal/literary)

Definition

A formal, written verb meaning 'to hear with one's own ears / hear firsthand' — emphasizes personal, direct hearing of an event, report, or news. The compound stresses the witness quality of the hearing, distinguishing it from merely being told.

verb
to hear with one's own earsto hear firsthand (formal/literary)

Examples

  • 亲闻，。
    Zhè jiàn shì shì tā qīn wén de, suǒ yǐ hěn kě kào.
    This matter was heard firsthand by him, so it's very reliable.
  • 亲闻，。
    Jì zhě qīn wén le dāng shí de qíng kuàng, xiě chū le xiáng xì de bào dào.
    The journalist heard the situation firsthand and wrote a detailed report.
  • 亲闻，。
    Wǒ qīn wén zhè ge xiāo xi hòu, lì kè gào sù le suǒ yǒu rén.
    After I heard this news with my own ears, I immediately told everyone.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

亲qīnpersonally
闻wénhear

亲 means personally, and 闻 means hear, giving the sense of hearing firsthand.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 親; 亲 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
辛
辛xīn親qīn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 親 uses 見 (see) for sense and 辛 (a chisel) for sound; the simplified 亲 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 亲 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聞; 闻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěrear
Sound part声符shēngfú
門
門mén聞wén
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 聞, 門 supplies the sound and 耳 is an ear; this explanation is about 聞, not the simplified 闻.

Open 闻 →

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