相传

• Pinyin: xiāng chuán
• Hanzi breakdown: 相 = 木 + 目 (mutual observation); 传 = 亻+ 专 (person passing something on exclusively)

Meaning

To be passed down from generation to generation; it is said; according to legend or tradition.

Functions both as a verb meaning 'to hand down' and as an introductory phrase equivalent to 'legend has it' or 'it is traditionally said.' Common in historical, cultural, and folkloric contexts.

Examples

1. 相传这座古庙已有逾千年的历史，是当地著名的文化遗址。 Legend has it that this ancient temple has a history of more than a thousand years and is a well-known cultural site in the area.
2. 这种独特的制瓷工艺代代相传，至今仍在窑场中完整保存。 This unique porcelain-making technique has been passed down for generations and is still fully preserved in the kiln workshop to this day.
3. 相传古代有一位智者曾在此山中隐居修行，留下了许多脍炙人口的故事。 It is said that in ancient times a wise man once lived in seclusion and cultivated himself in these mountains, leaving behind many widely told stories.

Usage Guide

Context: history, culture, folklore, literature

Tone: narrative

Do Say

• 相传此地曾是古战场，地下埋藏着大量珍贵文物。(Legend has it that this place was once an ancient battlefield, with a large quantity of precious artefacts buried underground.)
• 这门绝技由师父亲传弟子，数百年来从未外传。(This unique skill was passed down directly from master to disciple; it has never been shared outside the lineage for hundreds of years.)

Don't Say

• 相传他昨天迟到了 — 相传 implies legendary or multigenerational transmission, not recent gossip; use 据说 for everyday hearsay

Origin & History

相 (mutually/successively) + 传 (transmit/pass down)

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional to Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal