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道听途说 (dào tīng tú shuō) — hearsay; gossip; unsubstantiated rumor

Definition

A set phrase (chengyu) for 'hearsay' — things picked up along the road and repeated on the way. Always implies the information is unreliable and unverified, so it carries a negative judgment.

noun
hearsaygossipunsubstantiated rumor

Examples

  • 道听途说，。
    Zhè xiē dōu shì dào tīng tú shuō, bù néng xiāng xìn.
    All of this is hearsay — you can't believe it.
  • 道听途说。
    Tā shuō de xiāo xi bú guò shì dào tīng tú shuō bà liǎo.
    The news he told is nothing but hearsay.
  • 道听途说。
    Jì zhě bù néng zhī kào dào tīng tú shuō xiě xīn wén.
    A journalist can't write news based on hearsay alone.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

道听hear on the road
道dàoroad听tīnghear
偏正Modifier + head
途说talk on the road
途túroad说shuōsay
偏正Modifier + head

道 and 途 both mean road, while 听 and 说 describe hearing and repeating; together it means rumors picked up and spread casually.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
行行xíngstreet
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𩠐
首shǒu道dào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →

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
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
余
余yú途
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

途 is made from 辶 (written fully as 辵), a walking part, and 余, which gives the sound.

Open 途 →

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
Communication & SpeechIdioms & Set Phrases

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