Chinese word

失传

Pronunciation

Pinyinshī chuán

Meaning

  • verbbe lost

Example

他的秘诀因为没有记录而失传了。tā de mì jué yīn wèi méi yǒu jì lù ér shī chuán le

His secret was lost because it was not recorded.

Illustration for 失传 (be lost)

More examples

那种小镇方言已经完全失传，只有老人还能记得几句。nà zhǒng xiǎo zhèn fāng yán yǐ jīng wán quán shī chuán zhí yǒu lǎo rén hái néng jì de jǐ jù

That small-town dialect has completely died out, and only the elderly can still remember a few phrases.

Core concept

A skill, idea, or custom vanishes when its chain of transmission breaks.

Common phrases

  • 失传的秘方shī chuán de mì fāng

    a lost secret recipe

  • 失传的语言shī chuán de yǔ yán

    a lost language

  • 失传的歌谣shī chuán de gē yáo

    lost folk songs

Similar words

传承chuán chéng: Carry a skill, tradition, or body of knowledge forward across generations.
流传liú chuán: Be passed around and become known among people in a community or society.
绝传jué chuán: Die out completely when nothing remains to pass on to future generations.

Definition in Chinese

指某种技艺、知识或风俗因为没有被传承或记录而停止流传，逐渐为人遗忘。zhǐ móu zhǒng jì yì zhī shí huò fēng sú yīn wèi méi yǒu bèi chuán chéng huò jì lù ér tíng zhǐ liú chuán zhú jiàn wéi rén yí wàng

Word origin

失传 (shīchuán, "be lost") combines 失 (shī, "lose") with 传 (chuán, "pass on"), framing disappearance as the loss of transmission rather than simple physical loss.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, pairing it with 已经 (yǐjīng, "already") or 快要 (kuàiyào, "be about to") shows whether the loss has happened or is near.

Other meanings

  • die outverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word