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造谣 (zào yáo) — to start a rumor; to fabricate and spread false rumors

Definition

造谣 means to deliberately fabricate and spread a rumor — it implies intent and falsehood, more serious than just 'starting a rumor' might suggest. Often appears in legal/news contexts.

verb
to start a rumorto fabricate and spread false rumors

Examples

  • 。
    Wǎng shàng yǒu hěn duō rén zào yáo shuō zhè jiā diàn yào dǎo bì le.
    Many people online are spreading rumors that this shop is going to close down.
  • ，。
    Tā wèi le dǎ jī duì shǒu, zào le yí gè yáo.
    To attack his opponent, he started a rumor.
  • 造谣，。
    zào yáo Shì wéi fǎ de xíng wéi, dà jiā bú yào zuò.
    Spreading rumors is illegal; everyone should not do it.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

造zàomake/fabricate
谣yáorumor

造 means to make or fabricate, and 谣 means rumor, so the action is to start a rumor.

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
辵辵chuòto walk
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
屮
屮chè造zào
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Its origin is unclear, but early forms of 造 include 辵 (to walk) and 口, with 屮 as a sound part, and mean go or arrive.

Open 造 →

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 謠; 谣 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
䍃
䍃䍃謠yáo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 謠 puts 言, meaning speech, beside 䍃, which supplies the sound; the simplified 谣 is a later shorthand.

Open 谣 →
Appears in
Communication & Speech

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