bad news; news of death
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesnoun
bad news, especially news of someone's death
formalOften used in formal or literary contexts. In some dialects, particularly Beijing dialect, can take the 儿 suffix (凶信儿) with diminutive or familiar connotation.
Bào报
xiōng凶
xìn信
de的
rén人
gāng刚
zǒu走
，
quán全
jiā家
jiù就
kū哭
chéng成
le了
yī一
piàn片
。
The messenger bearing the sad tidings had just left when the whole family burst into tears.
Yuǎn远
fāng方
chuán传
lái来
xiōng凶
xìn信
，
shuō说
tā他
fù父
qīn亲
zài在
zhàn战
zhēng争
zhōng中
xī牺
shēng牲
le了
。
Word came from afar with the tragic news that his father had died in the war.
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Tīng听
dào到
zhè这
ge个
xiōng凶
xìn信
，
tā她
dāng当
chǎng场
yūn晕
le了
guò过
qù去
。
Upon hearing this terrible news, she fainted on the spot.
Xiōng凶
xìn信
r儿
chuán传
dào到
le了
cūn村
lǐ里
，
dà大
jiā家
dōu都
bù不
yuàn愿
xiāng相
xìn信
。
The sad news reached the village, but no one wanted to believe it.