dàotīngtúshuō: 道听途说 - Hearsay, Rumor, Gossip

• Keywords: dàotīngtúshuō, 道听途说, hearsay in Chinese, Chinese idiom for rumor, gossip Chinese, street talk, unreliable information, unsubstantiated rumor, Chinese chengyu.
• Summary: 道听途说 (dàotīngtúshuō) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) that vividly describes the act of spreading hearsay or unreliable information. Literally meaning “to hear on the road and speak on the path,” it refers to gossip and rumors that are passed along without any verification. This term carries a strong negative connotation, implying that the information is untrustworthy and the person spreading it is irresponsible. It's a fundamental concept in Chinese culture for dismissing unsubstantiated claims.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): dàotīngtúshuō
• Part of Speech: Chengyu (Chinese Idiom); can function as a verb or adjective.
• HSK Level: HSK 6
• Concise Definition: To spread hearsay, gossip, or unsubstantiated rumors.
• In a Nutshell: Imagine you're walking down a road, you overhear something, and without a second thought, you start telling everyone you meet along your way. That's the core image of 道听途说. It's not just about unconfirmed information; it's about the careless and irresponsible act of spreading it. The idiom criticizes both the information's lack of credibility and the character of the person who spreads it.

• 道 (dào): Road, path, way. In a broader sense, it can also mean “the way” or a moral path, as in Daoism. Here, it simply means “road.”
• 听 (tīng): To listen, to hear.
• 途 (tú): Road, path, way. It is a synonym for 道 (dào), and its inclusion here creates a parallelism that is common in classical Chinese.
• 说 (shuō): To speak, to say, to talk.

The characters combine literally to mean “road-hear-path-speak.” The structure emphasizes the casual, transient, and unverified nature of the information. It's picked up on one path (道) and immediately spread on another (途), with no stop for fact-checking in between.

The concept of 道听途说 is deeply rooted in Confucian ethics. In the *Analects of Confucius* (《论语》), Confucius criticizes the “person of the street” (鄙夫) who is quick to spread what they hear on the road, considering it a abandonment of virtue. To spread unverified information is seen not just as a mistake, but as a moral failing—an act of a “petty person” (小人, xiǎorén) rather than a “gentleman” or “noble person” (君子, jūnzǐ).

• Comparison with “Hearsay” or “The Grapevine”: In Western culture, “hearsay” is primarily a legal term for testimony that is not based on direct knowledge, and “hearing something through the grapevine” is a neutral or even playful way to describe informal communication. 道听途说 is different because it carries an inherent moral judgment. While you might say, “I heard through the grapevine that Sarah is getting promoted,” you would not use 道听途说 in such a casual, positive way. Using it is a direct criticism of the information's reliability and the speaker's credibility. It reflects a cultural value placed on thoughtful, responsible speech.

道听途说 is a common idiom used in a wide range of situations to discredit information.

• In Conversation: It's used to shut down gossip or to dismiss a rumor someone is spreading. For example, if a friend tells you a wild story about a celebrity, you might respond, “这都是道听途说吧” (This is all just hearsay, isn't it?).
• In Media and Formal Settings: Journalists, officials, and academics use it to emphasize their commitment to factual accuracy. A spokesperson might say, “Our report is based on solid evidence, not on 道听途说.”
• As a Self-Warning: People might use it self-deprecatingly to preface a piece of unconfirmed news, signaling to the listener that they shouldn't take it too seriously. For example: “我这也是道听途说，不一定准” (This is just something I heard, it might not be accurate).

Its connotation is almost always negative, implying irresponsibility, foolishness, and a lack of credibility.

• Example 1:
  • 别信他的话，他说的那些都是道听途说。
  • Pinyin: Bié xìn tā de huà, tā shuō de nàxiē dōu shì dàotīngtúshuō.
  • English: Don't believe him; everything he said is just hearsay.
  • Analysis: A direct and common usage to label someone's statements as completely unreliable rumors.
• Example 2:
  • 这个消息来源不明，很可能是道听途说，我们得先核实一下。
  • Pinyin: Zhège xiāoxi láiyuán bùmíng, hěn kěnéng shì dàotīngtúshuō, wǒmen děi xiān héshí yīxià.
  • English: The source of this news is unclear, it's likely just a rumor, we need to verify it first.
  • Analysis: Used in a professional or serious context to emphasize the need for fact-checking before acting on information.
• Example 3:
  • 作为一名记者，你必须基于事实报道，而不是道听途说。
  • Pinyin: Zuòwéi yī míng jìzhě, nǐ bìxū jīyú shìshí bàodào, ér bùshì dàotīngtúshuō.
  • English: As a journalist, you must report based on facts, not on hearsay.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the professional and ethical responsibility to avoid spreading unverified information.
• Example 4:
  • 我对公司的未来计划只是一些道听途说的了解，没有官方消息。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ duì gōngsī de wèilái jìhuà zhǐshì yīxiē dàotīngtúshuō de liǎojiě, méiyǒu guānfāng xiāoxi.
  • English: My understanding of the company's future plans is just based on some rumors; there's no official news.
  • Analysis: Here, 道听途说 functions as an adjective modifying “understanding” (了解), indicating that the knowledge is superficial and based on gossip.
• Example 5:
  • 他这个人就喜欢道听途说，然后到处乱讲。
  • Pinyin: Tā zhège rén jiù xǐhuān dàotīngtúshuō, ránhòu dàochù luàn jiǎng.
  • English: This person loves to pick up gossip and then spread it everywhere.
  • Analysis: Here, the idiom is used as a verb phrase describing a person's bad habit or character flaw.
• Example 6:
  • 这只是我的道听途说，你可别当真。
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhǐshì wǒ de dàotīngtúshuō, nǐ kě bié dàngzhēn.
  • English: This is just something I heard through the grapevine, so don't take it seriously.
  • Analysis: A self-deprecating usage to share a piece of information while simultaneously warning the listener of its unreliability.
• Example 7:
  • 网上关于明星的很多新闻都是道听途说，不可全信。
  • Pinyin: Wǎngshàng guānyú míngxīng de hěnduō xīnwén dōu shì dàotīngtúshuō, bùkě quán xìn.
  • English: A lot of the news about celebrities online is just hearsay and cannot be fully believed.
  • Analysis: A very relevant modern example, used to describe the nature of online rumors and fake news.
• Example 8:
  • 在没有证据之前，所有的指控都只能算是道听途说。
  • Pinyin: Zài méiyǒu zhèngjù zhīqián, suǒyǒu de zhǐkòng dōu zhǐ néng suànshì dàotīngtúshuō.
  • English: Before there is any evidence, all accusations can only be considered hearsay.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates a more formal, almost legalistic, use of the term to dismiss claims that lack proof.
• Example 9:
  • 他总是把道听途说来的消息当作事实。
  • Pinyin: Tā zǒng shì bǎ dàotīngtúshuō lái de xiāoxi dàngzuò shìshí.
  • English: He always treats news that he's heard through rumors as fact.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses “道听途说来的” to modify “news” (消息), clearly marking the information's origin as unreliable.
• Example 10:
  • 管理层不应该根据道听途说来做决定。
  • Pinyin: Guǎnlǐ céng bù yīnggāi gēnjù dàotīngtúshuō lái zuò juédìng.
  • English: Management should not make decisions based on rumors.
  • Analysis: A strong statement about good governance and decision-making, applicable in business or politics.

• Mistake 1: Confusing it with a neutral term for “rumor.”
  • English speakers might use “rumor” neutrally (“Have you heard the rumor about the new project?”). You cannot use 道听途说 this way. It's an accusation, not a neutral label. A more neutral word for “rumor” is `传闻 (chuánwén)`.
  • Incorrect: ~~关于新项目的道听途说你听说了吗？~~ (Have you heard the hearsay about the new project?)
  • Correct: 关于新项目的传闻你听说了吗？ (Have you heard the rumor about the new project?)
• Mistake 2: Using it for any unverified information.
  • 道听途说 implies information that is actively being spread in a casual, irresponsible way (like gossip). You wouldn't use it for a scientific hypothesis that is not yet proven, or a professional forecast that turns out to be wrong.
  • Incorrect: ~~天气预报说明天会下雨，但这是道听途说。~~ (The weather forecast says it will rain tomorrow, but this is hearsay.) A forecast is a professional prediction, not street gossip.
  • Correct: 天气预报说明天会下雨，但是不一定准。 (The weather forecast says it will rain tomorrow, but it's not necessarily accurate.)

• 小道消息 (xiǎodào xiāoxi) - “Small path news.” A colloquial noun for gossip or news from the grapevine. Very similar in meaning but used more as a noun.
• 传闻 (chuánwén) - Rumor, hearsay. A more neutral noun for an unverified story that is circulating.
• 谣言 (yáoyán) - Rumor, often with a negative implication of being a malicious fabrication or falsehood. Stronger and more negative than `传闻`.
• 无稽之谈 (wú jī zhī tán) - “Talk with no foundation to investigate.” Refers to sheer nonsense, a completely baseless statement. Focuses on the absurdity of the content.
• 捕风捉影 (bǔ fēng zhuō yǐng) - “To chase the wind and catch shadows.” To make groundless accusations or speak on the basis of unsubstantiated rumors. Describes the action of acting on baseless information.
• 三人成虎 (sān rén chéng hǔ) - “Three people talking makes a tiger.” An idiom describing how a rumor, if repeated by enough people, will be accepted as a fact. It explains the dangerous *result* of spreading 道听途说.
• 空穴来风 (kōng xué lái fēng) - “Wind comes from an empty cave.” Originally meant that every rumor has a source (i.e., “no smoke without fire”). However, its meaning has shifted in modern usage and it is now commonly used to mean a groundless rumor, similar to 道听途说.
• 言之凿凿 (yán zhī záo záo) - To speak with certainty and conviction, as if based on solid evidence. A direct antonym.