Chinese–EnglishWith examples

流言

liú yán · liu yan

Same in simplified and traditional Chinese

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. rumor
  2. gossip
  3. to spread rumors
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In a conversation

0:20 cartoon

Just a rumor

  1. Dengdeng

    你(nǐ)听说(tīngshuō)了(le)吗(ma)？公司(gōngsī)明天(míngtiān)放假(fàngjià)！

    Have you heard? The company has a day off tomorrow!

  2. Liangliang

    谁(shéi)说(shuō)的(de)？别(bié)信(xìn)流言(liúyán)。

    Who said so? Do not believe rumors.

  3. Dengdeng

    隔壁(gébì)同事(tóngshì)说(shuō)的(de)，大家(dàjiā)都(dōu)在(zài)传(chuán)。

    A colleague next door said so. Everyone is passing it on.

  4. Liangliang

    流言(liúyán)就是(jiùshì)这样(zhèyàng)，传来传去(chuánláichuánqù)，越(yuè)传(chuán)越(yuè)多(duō)。

    That is how rumors are. They spread around and grow bigger.

  5. Dengdeng

    我(wǒ)去(qù)问(wèn)老板(lǎobǎn)，老板(lǎobǎn)说(shuō)他(tā)也(yě)是(shì)听(tīng)同事(tóngshì)说(shuō)的(de)。

    I asked the boss. The boss said he heard it from a colleague too.

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In a sentence

2 examples
01

别(bié)相(xiāng)信(xìn)那(nà)些(xiē)流(liú)言(yán)，它(tā)们(men)大(dà)多(duō)不(bú)是(shì)真(zhēn)的(de)。

Don't believe those rumors; most of them aren't true.

02

关(guān)于(yú)公(gōng)司(sī)要(yào)裁(cái)员(yuán)的(de)流(liú)言(yán)很(hěn)快(kuài)传(chuán)遍(biàn)了(le)整(zhěng)个(gè)办(bàn)公(gōng)室(shì)。

The rumor that the company was going to lay people off quickly spread through the whole office.

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Stroke order & practice

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Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

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