Definition
以讹传讹 is a four-character idiom (成语) that describes the process by which an error gets magnified and spread as each person passes it along — like the game of 'telephone' where the message gets increasingly distorted. It's used to criticize the propagation of misinformation or rumors. The structure is 'using error to transmit error', and it typically appears as a predicate or adverbial phrase.
f.e.
to spread errorseach time making them worseto pass on misinformationcompounding the original mistake
Examples
- 以讹传讹，。Wǎngluò shàng de xiāoxi chángcháng yǐ é chuán, zuìhòu biàn de wánquán bù yíyàng.News on the internet often gets distorted as it's passed along, ending up completely different.
- 以讹传讹，。Búyào yǐ é chuán, yīnggāi xiān chá qīngchu shìshí zài shuō.Don't spread errors — you should verify the facts first before speaking.
- 以讹传讹，。Zhège yáoyán yǐ é chuán, hài de hěnduō rén xiāngxìn le jiǎ xiāoxi.This rumor was passed on with errors, causing many people to believe false information.
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