街知巷闻

街知巷聞

jiēzhī-xiàngwén

idiom

Meanings

HSK 5

他的故事街知巷闻，没人不晓得。

Tā de gùshì jiēzhī-xiàngwén, méi rén bù xiǎodé.

His story is known on every street; there is no one who doesn't know it.

HSK 7-9

这件丑闻早已街知巷闻。

Zhè jiàn chǒuwén zǎoyǐ jiēzhī-xiàngwén.

This scandal has long been common knowledge to everyone.

usage

Often used in news and Cantonese-influenced writing. Picture news spreading 街 (jiē, street) by 巷 (xiàng, alley) until everyone has heard it.

memory

街 + 知 = streets know; 巷 + 闻 = alleys have heard. If both the streets and the alleys know, the whole town knows.

街 jiē

知 zhī

巷 xiàng

闻 wén