小说 (xiǎoshuō): novel

Measure Word

一本小说 běn

Meanings

1 novel
2 fiction

Characters

Literally 'small talk' — historically, fiction was considered minor storytelling compared to serious historical writing.

Examples

我喜欢看小说。

Wǒ xǐhuan kàn xiǎoshuō.

I like reading novels.

这本小说很有名。

Zhè běn xiǎoshuō hěn yǒumíng.

This novel is very famous.

他写了一本小说。

Tā xiě le yì běn xiǎoshuō.

He wrote a novel.

Tips

culture

China's Four Great Classical Novels (四大名著) are 《红楼梦》, 《三国演义》, 《水浒传》, and 《西游记》. Every Chinese student reads them.

In Pop Culture

三体 Sān Tǐ

The Three-Body Problem

Liu Cixin's sci-fi novel that won the Hugo Award and became a Netflix series

Stroke Order

小 xiǎo

说 shuō

Related Words

小时候 xiǎoshíhou HSK 2 #2,274

in one's childhood / when one was young

小声 xiǎoshēng HSK 2 #4,565

in a low voice / quietly

小组 xiǎozǔ HSK 2 #1,644

group / team

小心 xiǎoxīn HSK 2 #477

to be careful / watch out / cautious

小说家 xiǎoshuōjiā #12,196

novelist

比如说 bǐrúshuō HSK 2 #2,784

for example

说明 shuōmíng HSK 2 #1,014

to explain / explanation / instructions

听说 tīngshuō HSK 2 #421

I heard that / it is said

大小 dàxiǎo HSK 2 #4,922

size

从小 cóngxiǎo HSK 2 #5,173

from childhood / since one was young