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.
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