传说 (chuán shuō) as a noun refers to a traditional legend or folk tale passed down through generations, often with a historical or cultural basis. It differs from 神话 (shén huà), which are myths about gods, and 传奇 (chuán qí), which are extraordinary tales of heroes. As a verb, 'it is said that' is more neutral than 据说 (jù shuō, more factual) and less negative than 传言/传闻 (rumor, hearsay).