道听途说
道听途说 (dào tīng tú shuō) literally means “road hear path say” and expresses “unreliable information from casual hearsay”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning.
Also searched as: dao ting tu shuo, dao ting tu shuo,道听途说 meaning, 道听途说 in english
Unreliable information from casual hearsay
Pronunciation: dào tīng tú shuō Literal meaning: Road hear path say
Origin & Usage
This one comes from the Analects, where Confucius says that to hear something on the road (道听) and repeat it on the path (途说) is to throw virtue away. The objection is not that the report is false but that the speaker has taken no trouble to find out — repeating is treated as a moral failure, not merely a careless one. Hearsay passed on by somebody who could have checked and did not.
Examples
English: "The report was based on unverified rumors rather than documented evidence"
Chinese: 该报告基于未经证实的谣言，而非有据可查的证据
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about wisdom & learning
长话短说
cháng huà duǎn shuō
Make a long story short
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半途而废
bàn tú ér fèi
Quitting before completion
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胡说八道
hú shuō bā dào
Talk complete nonsense without any foundation
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任重道远
rèn zhòng dào yuǎn
Heavy burden and long journey ahead
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恰到好处
qià dào hǎo chù
Stopped at exactly the right point
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老马识途
lǎo mǎ shí tú
Experience brings wisdom
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举一反三
jǔ yī fǎn sān
Learn many from one example
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温故知新
wēn gù zhī xīn
Learn new through studying old
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 道听途说 mean in English?
道听途说 (dào tīng tú shuō) literally translates to “Road hear path say” and is used to express “Unreliable information from casual hearsay”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.
When is 道听途说 used?
Situation: The report was based on unverified rumors rather than documented evidence
What is the pinyin for 道听途说?
The pinyin pronunciation for 道听途说 is “dào tīng tú shuō”.