xiǎoshuō: 小说 - Novel, Fiction

Keywords: xiaoshuo, xiao shuo, 小说, Chinese novel, Chinese fiction, Chinese literature, what is xiaoshuo, how to say novel in Chinese, story in Chinese, wuxia, web novel

Summary: 小说 (xiǎoshuō) is the Chinese word for “novel” or “fiction.” It covers everything from epic classical literature like *Journey to the West* to modern, globally popular web novels. Understanding 小说 is key to exploring China's rich literary history, its pop culture, and how stories have been valued and consumed, from ancient imperial courts to today's bustling internet forums.

Pinyin (with tone marks): xiǎo shuō

Part of Speech: Noun

HSK Level: HSK 4

Concise Definition: A work of prose fiction, such as a novel, novella, or short story.

In a Nutshell: 小说 (xiǎoshuō) is the standard word for any story that is written down and isn't true. It's the book you pick up when you want to escape into another world. Whether you're talking about a short story, a thousand-page epic, a sci-fi thriller, or a romance, they are all types of 小说.

小 (xiǎo): Means “small,” “little,” or “minor.”

说 (shuō): Means “to speak,” “to say,” or “a theory/saying.”

Combined Meaning: Literally, 小说 translates to “small talk” or “minor sayings.” This name reflects the traditional Confucian view in imperial China, where fiction was considered a less serious and less important form of writing compared to official histories (正史, zhèngshǐ) and philosophical classics. While this view has changed, the name remains a fascinating window into China's historical literary hierarchy.

Historical Perspective: For centuries, fiction (小说) occupied a lower rung on the ladder of literary prestige than poetry, history, and philosophy. It was entertainment, often seen as street-level gossip or unofficial tales. However, this didn't stop the creation of some of the world's most enduring literary works, known as the Four Great Classical Novels (四大名著, Sì Dà Míng Zhù), which form the bedrock of Chinese cultural literacy.

Comparison to “Novel” in the West: In Western culture, the novel rose to prominence as a respected art form that explored psychological depth and social commentary, often seen as on par with other high arts. In China, while novels certainly achieved this, they always contended with the shadow of “official” or “serious” writing. The value system was different; a historian was traditionally more revered than a novelist.

The Modern Revolution - Web Novels: Today, the concept of 小说 has been completely revolutionized by the internet. China is the world's largest market for 网络小说 (wǎngluò xiǎoshuō), or web novels. These are often serialized stories, published chapter by chapter online, spanning genres like fantasy (玄幻, xuánhuàn), martial arts (武侠, wǔxiá), and romance (言情, yánqíng). This phenomenon has created a new generation of celebrity authors and has become a massive source for film, TV, and animation adaptations, making 小说 more central to modern pop culture than ever before.

Everyday Conversation: 小说 is a common, neutral term used by everyone. You'd use it to ask a friend for a book recommendation (“你有什么好看的小说推荐吗？”) or to say what you do in your free time (“我周末喜欢在家看小说”).

Online and Social Media: The term is ubiquitous online. Readers discuss plots (情节, qíngjié) and characters (人物, rénwù) of popular web novels on forums like Douban and Zhihu. The abbreviation “xs” is sometimes used in online slang.

“Novel” as in “New”: The English word “novel” can be an adjective meaning “new and original” (e.g., “a novel idea”). The Chinese word 小说 never has this meaning. It is strictly a noun for a type of literature. To express “a novel idea,” you would say something like 新颖的想法 (xīnyǐng de xiǎngfǎ).

故事 (gùshi) - The broader term for “story.” A 小说 is a type of 故事.

文学 (wénxué) - Literature; the academic study of written works, including novels.

小说家 (xiǎoshuōjiā) - A novelist, an author of fiction.

网络小说 (wǎngluò xiǎoshuō) - Web novel. A hugely popular modern form of serialized fiction in China.

武侠 (wǔxiá) - Martial arts chivalry; a very popular genre of Chinese fiction.

科幻 (kēhuàn) - Science Fiction (abbreviation of 科学幻想, kēxué huànxiǎng).

四大名著 (Sì Dà Míng Zhù) - The Four Great Classical Novels, the cornerstone of Chinese literary canon.

情节 (qíngjié) - The plot of a story or novel.

人物 (rénwù) - A character or figure in a story or novel.

散文 (sǎnwén) - Prose; non-fictional essays. Often seen as a counterpart to fiction.