传

傳

chuán, zhuàn

专 + 亻

HSK 3.0Level 5

Definitions

chuán (verb) to pass on; to spread; to transmit

chuán (verb) to transfer; to conduct (electricity)

zhuàn (noun) biography; historical narrative

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 专 represents the sound. Simplified form of 傳.

Semantic: 亻 Phonetic: 专

About

The character 传 is the simplified version of 傳, a phonosemantic compound. Its structure pairs the person radical 亻 (rén), indicating human involvement, with the phonetic 專 (zhuān), which was reduced to 专 to simplify the character. This combination originally conveyed the idea of a person relaying or passing something on, be it knowledge, messages, or objects. By extension, the character also has a second pronunciation and meaning: a written record or biography, applying the notion of transmission to the formal documentation of a person's life.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Seal etymology image

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这个消息很快传遍了学校。

Zhège xiāoxi hěn kuài chuánbiàn le xuéxiào.

This news quickly spread throughout the school.

传统文化需要代代相传。

Chuántǒng wénhuà xūyào dàidàixiāngchuán.

Traditional culture needs to be passed down from generation to generation.

他负责传播公司的品牌文化。

Tā fùzé chuánbō gōngsī de pǐnpái wénhuà.

He is responsible for spreading the company's brand culture.

互联网加速了信息的传播速度。

Hùliánwǎng jiāsù le xìnxī de chuánbō sùdù.

The internet has accelerated the speed of information dissemination.

这个古老的传说在村里流传了很久。

Zhège gǔlǎo de chuánshuō zài cūn li liúchuán le hěn jiǔ.

This ancient legend has been circulating in the village for a long time.

这项技艺由师傅郑重地传给了他的弟子。

Zhè xiàng jìyì yóu shīfu zhèngzhòng de chuán gěi le tā de dìzi.

This skill was solemnly passed down by the master to his disciple.

这位记者因传播虚假信息受到谴责。

Zhè wèi jìzhě yīn chuánbō xūjiǎ xìnxī shòudào qiǎnzé.

This journalist was condemned for spreading false information.

精神财富的传承比物质财富更为重要。

Jīngshén cáifù de chuánchéng bǐ wùzhì cáifù gèng wéi zhòngyào.

The inheritance of spiritual wealth is more important than that of material wealth.

Related Characters

Component: 专

Component: 亻

Example Words