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传来 (chuán lái) — to arrive (of news, sound, information, etc.)

Definition

Used when sounds, news, or information reach you from elsewhere — what comes through 'over' (from far away, from another place). Pairs with sounds (枪声, 笑声) and messages (消息) reaching the listener.

verb
to arrive (of news, sound, information, etc.)

Examples

  • 传来。
    Yuǎn chù chuán lái le qiāng shēng.
    The sound of gunfire arrived from afar.
  • 传来。
    Cóng qián fāng chuán lái le shèng lì de xiāo xi.
    News of victory arrived from the front.
  • 传来。
    Chuāng wài chuán lái le hái zi men de xiào shēng.
    The laughter of children came through from outside the window.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

传chuántransmit
来láicome

To transmit and have it come: 传 is the sending, and 来 shows arrival.

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 傳; 传 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
專
專zhuān傳chuán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傳 puts 人 (man) beside 專, which gives the sound; the simplified 传 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the historical ones.

Open 传 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.

Open 来 →
Appears in
Communication & Speech

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