以讹传讹
yǐ é chuán é
to pass on a falsehood, which grows as it spreads
Character by character
以yǐ
by
by
讹é
error
error
传chuán
pass on
pass on
讹é
error
error
Example
网上很多“养生常识”都是以讹传讹，根本没有科学依据。
A lot of online “health tips” are just errors passed along, with no science behind them.
Tone: negative (criticism).
Usage and origin
讹 means a mistake or false report. Compare 三人成虎: say there is a tiger in the market often enough and people believe it.
Learn this in Lesson 110 · HSK 7–9: 信息从哪儿来 (Where the news comes from)
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.
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