pīnyīn 
pin1yin1 
ㄓㄨㄧㄣ 
 
simplified 
traditional 
 
闻 
聞 
wen2 
 
 
surname Wen 
闻 
聞 
wen2 
 
 
to hear; news; well-known; famous; reputation; fame; to smell; to sniff at 
 
strokes 
9 
 
radical 
 
 
strokes after radical 
6 
 
百闻不如一见 
百聞不如一見 
bai3 wen2 bu4 ru2 yi1 jian4 
 
 
seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times (idiom); seeing for oneself is better than hearing from many others; seeing is believing 
标题新闻 
標題新聞 
biao1 ti2 xin1 wen2 
 
 
headline news; title story 
博识洽闻 
博識洽聞 
bo2 shi2 qia4 wen2 
 
 
knowledgeable; erudite (idiom) 
博闻多识 
博聞多識 
bo2 wen2 duo1 shi2 
 
 
learned and erudite; knowledgeable and experienced 
博闻强记 
博聞強記 
bo2 wen2 qiang2 ji4 
 
 
have wide learning and a retentive memory; have encyclopedic knowledge 
博闻强识 
博聞強識 
bo2 wen2 qiang2 shi2 
 
 
erudite; widely read and knowledgeable 
博物多闻 
博物多聞 
bo2 wu4 duo1 wen2 
 
 
wide and knowledgeable; well-informed and experienced 
博物洽闻 
博物洽聞 
bo2 wu4 qia4 wen2 
 
 
to have a wide knowledge of many subjects (idiom) 
不闻不问 
不聞不問 
bu4 wen2 bu4 wen4 
 
 
not to hear, not to question (idiom); to show no interest in sth; uncritical; not in the least concerned 
惨不忍闻 
慘不忍聞 
can3 bu4 ren3 wen2 
 
 
too horrible to endure (idiom); tragic spectacle; appalling scenes of devastation 
产经新闻 
產經新聞 
chan3 jing1 xin1 wen2 
 
 
Business News; Sankei Shimbun (Tokyo daily) 
朝鲜中央新闻社 
朝鮮中央新聞社 
chao2 xian3 zhong1 yang1 xin1 wen2 she4 
 
 
Korean Central News Agency (KCNA, North Korea) 
充耳不闻 
充耳不聞 
chong1 er3 bu4 wen2 
 
 
to block one's ears and not listen (idiom); to turn a deaf ear 
丑闻 
醜聞 
chou3 wen2 
 
 
scandal 
臭不可闻 
臭不可聞 
chou4 bu4 ke3 wen2 
 
 
unbearable stink; fig. notorious 
传闻 
傳聞 
chuan2 wen2 
 
 
rumor 
传闻证据 
傳聞證據 
chuan2 wen2 zheng4 ju4 
 
 
hearsay (law) 
读卖新闻 
讀賣新聞 
du2 mai4 xin1 wen2 
 
 
Yomiuri Shimbun (Japanese newspaper) 
多闻天 
多聞天 
duo1 wen2 tian1 
 
 
Vaisravana (one of the Heavenly Kings) 
耳闻 
耳聞 
er3 wen2 
 
 
to hear of; to hear about 
耳闻不如目见 
耳聞不如目見 
er3 wen2 bu4 ru2 mu4 jian4 
 
 
seeing sth for oneself is better than hearing about it from others 
耳闻目睹 
耳聞目睹 
er3 wen2 mu4 du3 
 
 
to witness personally 
绯闻 
緋聞 
fei1 wen2 
 
 
sex scandal 
诽闻 
誹聞 
fei3 wen2 
 
 
scandal; gossip 
风闻 
風聞 
feng1 wen2 
 
 
to learn sth through hearsay; to get wind of sth 
讣闻 
訃聞 
fu4 wen2 
 
 
obituary 
孤陋寡闻 
孤陋寡聞 
gu1 lou4 gua3 wen2 
 
 
ignorant and inexperienced; ill-informed and narrow-minded 
国务院新闻办公室 
國務院新聞辦公室 
guo2 wu4 yuan4 xin1 wen2 ban4 gong1 shi4 
 
 
State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China 
骇人听闻 
駭人聽聞 
hai4 ren2 ting1 wen2 
 
 
shocking; horrifying; atrocious; terrible 
忽闻 
忽聞 
hu1 wen2 
 
 
to hear suddenly; to learn of sth unexpectedly 
花边新闻 
花邊新聞 
hua1 bian1 xin1 wen2 
 
 
media gossip; sensational news 
见闻 
見聞 
jian4 wen2 
 
 
what one has seen and heard; knowledge; one's experience 
见闻有限 
見聞有限 
jian4 wen2 you3 xian4 
 
 
to possess limited experience and knowledge (idiom) 
久闻大名 
久聞大名 
jiu3 wen2 da4 ming2 
 
 
your name has been known to me for a long time (polite) 
旧闻 
舊聞 
jiu4 wen2 
 
 
old anecdote; stories passed on from former times 
举世闻名 
舉世聞名 
ju3 shi4 wen2 ming2 
 
 
world-famous (idiom) 
据闻 
據聞 
ju4 wen2 
 
 
accounts; one's understanding 
旷古未闻 
曠古未聞 
kuang4 gu3 wei4 wen2 
 
 
never before in the whole of history (idiom); unprecedented; also written 曠古未有|旷古未有 
劳动新闻 
勞動新聞 
lao2 dong4 xin1 wen2 
 
 
Rodong Sinmun (Workers' news), the official newspaper of the North Korean WPK's Central Committee 
两耳不闻窗外事 
兩耳不聞窗外事 
liang3 er3 bu4 wen2 chuang1 wai4 shi4 
 
 
to pay no attention to outside matters 
美国有线新闻网 
美國有線新聞網 
mei3 guo2 you3 xian4 xin1 wen2 wang3 
 
 
Cable Network News (CNN) 
每日新闻 
每日新聞 
mei3 ri4 xin1 wen2 
 
 
Mainichi Shimbun, a Japanese daily newspaper 
名闻 
名聞 
ming2 wen2 
 
 
famous; of good reputation 
莫不闻 
莫不聞 
mo4 bu4 wen2 
 
 
there is no-one who doesn't know that 
默默无闻 
默默無聞 
mo4 mo4 wu2 wen2 
 
 
obscure and unknown (idiom); an outsider without any reputation; a nobody; an unknown quantity 
难闻 
難聞 
nan2 wen2 
 
 
unpleasant smell; stink 
彭博新闻社 
彭博新聞社 
peng2 bo2 xin1 wen2 she4 
 
 
Bloomberg News 
奇闻 
奇聞 
qi2 wen2 
 
 
anecdote; fantastic story 
前所未闻 
前所未聞 
qian2 suo3 wei4 wen2 
 
 
unheard-of; unprecedented 
趣闻 
趣聞 
qu4 wen2 
 
 
funny news item; interesting anecdote 
日本经济新闻 
日本經濟新聞 
ri4 ben3 jing1 ji4 xin1 wen2 
 
 
Nikkei Shimbun, Japanese equivalent of Financial Times 
如是我闻 
如是我聞 
ru2 shi4 wo3 wen2 
 
 
so I have heard (idiom); the beginning clause of Buddha's quotations as recorded by his disciple, Ananda (Buddhism) 
上海文广新闻传媒集团 
上海文廣新聞傳媒集團 
shang4 hai3 wen2 guang3 xin1 wen2 chuan2 mei2 ji2 tuan2 
 
 
Shanghai Media Group 
时有所闻 
時有所聞 
shi2 you3 suo3 wen2 
 
 
heard from time to time; one keeps hearing that... 
世界闻名 
世界聞名 
shi4 jie4 wen2 ming2 
 
 
world famous 
耸人听闻 
聳人聽聞 
song3 ren2 ting1 wen2 
 
 
to sensationalize (idiom); deliberate exaggeration to scare people 
所见所闻 
所見所聞 
suo3 jian4 suo3 wen2 
 
 
what one hears and sees (idiom) 
琐闻 
瑣聞 
suo3 wen2 
 
 
news items 
所闻 
所聞 
suo3 wen2 
 
 
heard; what one hears 
桃色新闻 
桃色新聞 
tao2 se4 xin1 wen2 
 
 
sex scandal 
听而不闻 
聽而不聞 
ting1 er2 bu4 wen2 
 
 
to hear but not react (idiom); to turn a deaf ear; to ignore deliberately 
听闻 
聽聞 
ting1 wen2 
 
 
to listen; to hear what sb says; news one has heard 
头条新闻 
頭條新聞 
tou2 tiao2 xin1 wen2 
 
 
headline 
闻出 
聞出 
wen2 chu1 
 
 
to identify by smell; to detect a scent; to sniff out 
闻达 
聞達 
wen2 da2 
 
 
illustrious and influential; well-known 
闻到 
聞到 
wen2 dao4 
 
 
to smell; to sniff sth out; to perceive by smelling 
闻风而动 
聞風而動 
wen2 feng1 er2 dong4 
 
 
to respond instantly; to act at once on hearing the news 
闻风丧胆 
聞風喪膽 
wen2 feng1 sang4 dan3 
 
 
hear the wind and lose gall (idiom); terror-stricken at the news 
闻风先遁 
聞風先遁 
wen2 feng1 xian1 dun4 
 
 
to flee at hearing the news (idiom) 
闻过则喜 
聞過則喜 
wen2 guo4 ze2 xi3 
 
 
to accept criticism gladly (humble expr.); to be happy when one's errors are pointed out 
闻鸡起舞 
聞雞起舞 
wen2 ji1 qi3 wu3 
 
 
to start practicing at the first crow of the cock (idiom); to be diligent in one's studies 
闻见 
聞見 
wen2 jian4 
 
 
to smell; to hear; knowledge; information 
闻名 
聞名 
wen2 ming2 
 
 
well-known; famous; renowned; eminent 
闻名不如见面 
聞名不如見面 
wen2 ming2 bu4 ru2 jian4 mian4 
 
 
knowing sb by their reputation can't compare to meeting them in person (idiom) 
闻名遐迩 
聞名遐邇 
wen2 ming2 xia2 er3 
 
 
to be famous far and wide (idiom) 
闻名于世 
聞名於世 
wen2 ming2 yu2 shi4 
 
 
world-famous 
闻人 
聞人 
wen2 ren2 
 
 
famous person 
闻上去 
聞上去 
wen2 shang4 qu4 
 
 
to smell of sth; to smell like sth 
闻所未闻 
聞所未聞 
wen2 suo3 wei4 wen2 
 
 
unheard of; an extremely rare and unprecedented event 
闻悉 
聞悉 
wen2 xi1 
 
 
to hear (about sth) 
闻喜 
聞喜 
wen2 xi3 
 
 
Wenxi county in Yuncheng 運城|运城, Shanxi 
闻喜县 
聞喜縣 
wen2 xi3 xian4 
 
 
Wenxi county in Yuncheng 運城|运城, Shanxi 
闻讯 
聞訊 
wen2 xun4 
 
 
to receive news (of) 
闻言 
聞言 
wen2 yan2 
 
 
to have heard what was said 
闻一多 
聞一多 
wen2 yi1 duo1 
 
 
Wen Yiduo (1899-1946), poet and patriotic fighter, executed by Guomindang in Kunming 
闻一知十 
聞一知十 
wen2 yi1 zhi1 shi2 
 
 
lit. to hear one and know ten (idiom); fig. explain one thing and (he) understands everything; a word to the wise 
闻诊 
聞診 
wen2 zhen3 
 
 
(TCM) auscultation and smelling, one of the four methods of diagnosis 四診|四诊 
喜闻乐见 
喜聞樂見 
xi3 wen2 le4 jian4 
 
 
to love to hear and see (idiom); well received; to one's liking 
遐迩闻名 
遐邇聞名 
xia2 er3 wen2 ming2 
 
 
famous everywhere 
小道新闻 
小道新聞 
xiao3 dao4 xin1 wen2 
 
 
news from the grapevine 
新闻 
新聞 
xin1 wen2 
 
 
news 
新闻出版总署 
新聞出版總署 
xin1 wen2 chu1 ban3 zong3 shu3 
 
 
General Administration of Press and Publication (PRC state censorship organization) 
新闻处 
新聞處 
xin1 wen2 chu4 
 
 
news service; information agency 
新闻发布会 
新聞發布會 
xin1 wen2 fa1 bu4 hui4 
 
 
news conference 
新闻发言人 
新聞發言人 
xin1 wen2 fa1 yan2 ren2 
 
 
spokesman 
新闻稿 
新聞稿 
xin1 wen2 gao3 
 
 
press release 
新闻工作者 
新聞工作者 
xin1 wen2 gong1 zuo4 zhe3 
 
 
journalist 
新闻记者 
新聞記者 
xin1 wen2 ji4 zhe3 
 
 
journalist 
新闻界 
新聞界 
xin1 wen2 jie4 
 
 
the press; the media 
新闻媒体 
新聞媒體 
xin1 wen2 mei2 ti3 
 
 
news media 
新闻网 
新聞網 
xin1 wen2 wang3 
 
 
news agency 
新闻学 
新聞學 
xin1 wen2 xue2 
 
 
journalism 
新闻周刊 
新聞週刊 
xin1 wen2 zhou1 kan1 
 
 
Newsweek magazine; also written 新聞周刊|新闻周刊 
新闻周刊 
新聞周刊 
xin1 wen2 zhou1 kan1 
 
 
Newsweek magazine 
新闻主播 
新聞主播 
xin1 wen2 zhu3 bo1 
 
 
newsreader; anchor 
新闻自由 
新聞自由 
xin1 wen2 zi4 you2 
 
 
freedom of the press 
新闻组 
新聞組 
xin1 wen2 zu3 
 
 
newsgroup 
信报财经新闻 
信報財經新聞 
xin4 bao4 cai2 jing1 xin1 wen2 
 
 
Hong Kong Economic Journal 
徐闻 
徐聞 
xu2 wen2 
 
 
Xuwen county in Zhanjiang 湛江, Guangdong 
徐闻县 
徐聞縣 
xu2 wen2 xian4 
 
 
Xuwen county in Zhanjiang 湛江, Guangdong 
湮没无闻 
湮沒無聞 
yan1 mo4 wu2 wen2 
 
 
to pass into oblivion 
言者无罪,闻者足戒 
言者無罪,聞者足戒 
yan2 zhe3 wu2 zui4 - wen2 zhe3 zu2 jie4 
 
 
don't blame the speaker, take note of his warning (idiom); an exhortation to speak one's mind without fear of reprisals, and with the expectation of being taken seriously 
要闻 
要聞 
yao4 wen2 
 
 
important news story; headline 
一无所闻 
一無所聞 
yi1 wu2 suo3 wen2 
 
 
unheard of 
轶事遗闻 
軼事遺聞 
yi4 shi4 yi2 wen2 
 
 
anecdote (about historical person); lost or apocryphal story 
逸事遗闻 
逸事遺聞 
yi4 shi4 yi2 wen2 
 
 
variant of 軼事遺聞|轶事遗闻 
轶闻 
軼聞 
yi4 wen2 
 
 
anecdote; apocryphal story 
逸闻 
逸聞 
yi4 wen2 
 
 
variant of 軼聞|轶闻 
有线新闻网 
有線新聞網 
you3 xian4 xin1 wen2 wang3 
 
 
Cable Network News (CNN) 
愿闻其详 
願聞其詳 
yuan4 wen2 qi2 xiang2 
 
 
I'd like to hear the details 
张闻天 
張聞天 
zhang1 wen2 tian1 
 
 
Zhang Wentian (1900-1976), CCP party leader and theorist 
朝日新闻 
朝日新聞 
zhao1 ri4 xin1 wen2 
 
 
Asahi Shimbun (Japanese newspaper) 
朝闻夕改 
朝聞夕改 
zhao1 wen2 xi1 gai3 
 
 
lit. heard in the morning and changed by the evening; to correct an error very quickly (idiom) 
珍闻 
珍聞 
zhen1 wen2 
 
 
oddity; news tidbits; strange and interesting item 
政府新闻处 
政府新聞處 
zheng4 fu3 xin1 wen2 chu4 
 
 
information services department 
置若罔闻 
置若罔聞 
zhi4 ruo4 wang3 wen2 
 
 
to turn a deaf ear to (idiom); to pretend not to hear 
中国新闻社 
中國新聞社 
zhong1 guo2 xin1 wen2 she4 
 
 
China News Service 
中国新闻网 
中國新聞網 
zhong1 guo2 xin1 wen2 wang3 
 
 
China News Service website (chinanews.com)