tīngshuō: 听说 - To hear of, To be told, It is said

Keywords: tingshuo, 听说, to hear of, it is said, I heard that, Chinese for rumor, Chinese for hearsay, learn Chinese, tīngshuō grammar, Chinese sentence structure, reporting information in Chinese.

Summary: Learn how to use 听说 (tīngshuō) in Chinese, a crucial word meaning “to hear of,” “to be told,” or “it is said.” This guide covers its grammar, cultural context, and provides numerous example sentences, helping beginners understand how to report hearsay, share news, or talk about rumors in everyday Mandarin conversation. Discover the key difference between 听说 (tīngshuō) and 听到 (tīngdào) to avoid common mistakes.

Pinyin (with tone marks): tīngshuō

Part of Speech: Verb

HSK Level: HSK 2

Concise Definition: To be told something by another person; to have heard about something.

In a Nutshell: 听说 (tīngshuō) is the go-to phrase in Chinese for reporting information you didn't witness yourself. It literally means “hear-speak.” Think of it as the Chinese equivalent of starting a sentence with “I heard that…”, “Apparently…”, or “It is said that…”. It's a fundamental tool for sharing news, gossip, or information while clearly indicating that the source is secondhand.

听 (tīng): To listen, to hear. This character is composed of the “ear” radical (耳) on the right, indicating its connection to the sense of hearing, and a phonetic component on the left.

说 (shuō): To speak, to say, to talk. This character features the “speech” radical (言) on the left, clearly marking it as related to language and communication.

How they combine: The combination is elegantly logical. You 听 (tīng), or “hear,” what someone else 说 (shuō), or “says.” Together, 听说 (tīngshuō) encapsulates the entire act of receiving information verbally from another source.

While 听说 (tīngshuō) is a functional word, its frequent use touches upon a subtle aspect of Chinese communication culture. In social situations, there can be a preference for indirectness to maintain group harmony (和谐, héxié).

Using 听说 allows a speaker to introduce a piece of information, an opinion, or even a rumor without taking direct ownership or responsibility for its accuracy. It attributes the information to an anonymous, external source (“they say…”), which softens the statement and makes it less confrontational.

Compared to the English “I heard…”, which functions very similarly, 听说 is perhaps used even more broadly in daily life. It's a standard, neutral way to preface almost any piece of news that isn't from your own direct experience, from the weather forecast to office gossip. It's a linguistic tool that facilitates the smooth flow of information in a society that values group consensus and avoids singling oneself out.

Formality: 听说 is generally neutral to informal and is extremely common in daily conversation. In formal writing or news reports, a more specific source or a word like `据说 (jùshuō)` (“it is said that”) might be preferred.

听到 (tīngdào) - To hear (a sound). Differentiated by referring to the physical act of hearing, not the content of a message.

听见 (tīngjiàn) - A close synonym of `听到`, also meaning to successfully perceive a sound with your ears.

据说 (jùshuō) - A more formal or written equivalent of `听说`, meaning “it is said that” or “according to reports.”

传闻 (chuánwén) - (Noun) A rumor. This is often the *thing* that you `听说`.

告诉 (gàosù) - To tell. This is the action from the speaker's perspective. If `他告诉我 (tā gàosù wǒ)`, then `我听说 (wǒ tīngshuō)`.

消息 (xiāoxi) - (Noun) News; information. The object of what you hear. Ex: `我听说了一个好消息。` (I heard a piece of good news.)

打听 (dǎting) - To ask about; to inquire. This is the action of actively trying to get information that you might later report using `听说`.

道听途说 (dàotīngtúshuō) - A four-character idiom (chengyu) for “hearsay” or “rumor,” often with a negative connotation of being unreliable.