骇人听闻

hài rén tīng wén

appalling; shocking to hear

Character by character

骇hài
shock

人rén
people

听tīng
listen

闻wén
hear

诈骗园区里打人、卖人的事情，真是骇人听闻。

The beatings and the selling of people in the scam compounds are truly appalling.

Tone: negative (criticism).

Describes crimes, cruelty or disasters (骇人听闻的案件, 骇人听闻的暴行), never something merely surprising. Written and formal; in speech say 太吓人了.

Learn this in Lesson 68 · HSK 6: 反诈 (Phone and online scams)

A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.