街知巷闻

街知巷聞

jiēzhīxiàngwén

idiom

Meanings

Zhè jiàn chǒuwén zǎo yǐ jiēzhīxiàngwén.

This scandal has long been common knowledge to everyone.

Tā de gùshì jiēzhīxiàngwén, méi rén bù xiǎodé.

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

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