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听信 (tīng xìn) — to believe (what one hears, often without verification)

Definition

听信 means to believe and act on what one hears (lies, rumors, gossip), usually without checking. It often carries a negative sense — implying the listener was gullible or misled.

verb
to believe (what one hears, often without verification)

Examples

  • 听信。
    Nǐ bú yīng gāi tīng xìn tā de huǎng yán.
    You shouldn't believe his lies.
  • 听信。
    Hěn duō rén róng yì tīng xìn yáo yán.
    Many people easily believe rumors.
  • 听信。
    Fǎ guān bú huì tīng xìn yí miàn zhī cí.
    The judge will not believe one-sided statements.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

听tīnghear
信xìnbelieve

听 means hear and 信 means believe, so 听信 is to hear and believe without checking.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聽; 听 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 聽 has 耳 (ear) and 口 (mouth), used for listening; the simplified 听 is a later shortened form unrelated to that picture.

Open 听 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánwords
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén信xìn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

信 pairs 人 as the sound part with 言 (words) as the meaning part.

Open 信 →
Appears in
Thinking & Cognition

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