Chinese word

谣言

Pronunciation

Pinyinyáo yán

Meaning

  • nounrumor

Example

别听谣言，要看证据。bié tīng yáo yán yào kàn zhèng jù

Don't believe rumors; look at the evidence.

Illustration for 谣言 (rumor)

More examples

应该及时反驳谣言，不要让它扩散。yīng gāi jí shí fǎn bó yáo yán bú yào ràng tā kuò sàn

Rumors should be refuted promptly; do not let them spread.

Core concept

Information carried by word of mouth or online, with uncertainty turning it into a source of mistaken belief.

Common phrases

  • 反驳谣言fǎn bó yáo yán

    refute rumors

  • 遏制谣言è zhì yáo yán

    curb rumors

  • 不实谣言bù shí yáo yán

    false rumors

Similar words

流言liú yán: Unsupported talk widely passed around even though its truth is unclear.
传闻chuán wén: Unconfirmed information passed from person to person.
传言chuán yán: An unverified story spread by word of mouth.
流言蜚语liú yán fēi yǔ: Groundless talk spread with speculation or hurtful claims about people.

Definition in Chinese

未经核实、在民间或网络上传播并可能导致误解的说法或传闻。wèi jīng hé shí zài mín jiān huò wǎng luò shàng chuán bō bìng kě néng dǎo zhì wù jiě de shuō fǎ huò chuán wén

Word origin

谣言 (yáoyán, "rumor") combines 谣 (yáo, "folk song or popular saying") with 言 (yán, "speech"), linking public words passed among people with a report whose truth has not been checked.

Usage tips

  • For everyday use, 谣言 (yáoyán, "rumor") often sounds more accusing than English "rumor": it can suggest that a claim is false or misleading, not merely unconfirmed.

Other meanings

  • false rumornoun
  • misinformationnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 辟谣pì yáodispel rumorsverb
  • 造谣zào yáomake up rumorsverb

Word lists with this word