英雄传 (yīng xióng chuán) — legend of heroes; heroic biography

Definition

A literary genre: a narrative biography of one or more heroes, often the title of a novel (e.g. 《水浒传》). Not used for modern biographical writing — for that, use 传记.

noun
legend of heroesheroic biography

Examples

  • 《英雄传》。
    Wǒ zuì jìn zài kàn yí bù jiào 《yīng xióng chuán》 de xiǎo shuō.
    I'm currently reading a novel called Heroes' Biography.
  • 《英雄传》。
    《yīng xióng chuán》 Shì zhōng guó wén xué zhōng de jīng diǎn zuò pǐn.
    Heroes' Biography is a classic work in Chinese literature.
  • 《英雄传》？
    Nǐ yǐ jīng dú wán 《yīng xióng chuán》 liǎo ma?
    Have you finished reading Heroes' Biography?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

英雄heroes
英yīnghero雄xiónghero
联合Side by side
传chuánbiography

英雄 names heroes and 传 names a biography, together a legend of heroes.

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
央
央yāng英yīng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

英 pairs 艹 (grass) with 央, which gives the sound.

Open 英 →

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
隹隹zhuī
Sound part声符shēngfú
厷
厷gōng雄xióng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

雄 is formed by putting 隹 together with 厷, with 厷 giving the character's sound.

Open 雄 →

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 →

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