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传说 (chuán shuō) — (noun) legend, folk tale; (verb) to spread (news/stories) by word of mouth; it is said that...

Definition

传说 is a folk tale or legend passed down orally, distinct from 神话 (gods/mythology). As a verb, ‘it is said that…’ is used like 据说 but with a more traditional, story-like flavor.

noun
legendfolk tale
verb
to spread (news/stories) by word of mouthit is said that...

Examples

  • 传说。
    Zhè ge chuán shuō yǐ jīng liú chuán le jǐ bǎi nián.
    This legend has been passed down for hundreds of years.
  • 传说，。
    chuán shuō, Nà zuò shān shàng yǒu yí zuò hěn lǎo de miào.
    It is said that there is a very old temple on that mountain.
  • 传说。
    Rén men chuán shuō tā shì yí wèi yīng xióng.
    People say he is a hero.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

传chuánpass on
说shuōtell

Both parts mean pass on and tell, so the meaning is stories passed by telling, or the act of telling them.

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 →

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 說; 说 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
兌
兌duì說shuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 說 pairs 言 (meaning) with 兌 (sound); the simplified 说 is not the form described here.

Open 说 →
Appears in
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