谣 (yáo) - Ballad, folk song & rumor, unfounded story

谣Tone 2

yáo ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

嬿一

谣 · yáo

Ballad, folk song;

rumor, unfounded story;

to sing;

a type of ancient folk poetry.

Ballad, folk songrumor, unfounded storyto sing

Usage highlights

RumorFolk song/balladBallad, rhymeTo spread rumorsTo fabricate rumorsTo quell/refute rumors

Synonyms

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • That's just a baseless rumor (谣言).
  • She enjoys collecting folk ballads (民谣).
  • The ancient Book of Songs contains many ballads (歌谣).
  • They spread malicious gossip about him (造谣).

Collocations

  • Rumor(谣言)
  • Folk song/ballad(民谣)
  • Ballad, rhyme(歌谣)
  • To spread rumors(传谣)
  • To fabricate rumors(造谣)
  • To quell/refute rumors(辟谣)

Idioms

  • Rumors stop with the wise(谣言止于智者)
  • To concoct stories and spread rumors(造谣生事)
  • Flying rumors and slanderous talk(流言蜚语 - related concept)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In ancient China, 'yao' referred to folk songs or ballads without musical accompaniment, often reflecting popular sentiment.
  • The character embodies the dual nature of oral tradition: preserving culture (folk songs) and spreading misinformation (rumors).
  • Historical records show rulers sometimes collected folk ballads (采谣) to gauge public opinion.

FAQ