消息

Chinese

		consume; news; subside consume; news; subside; to disappear; to vanish	rest; news; interest rest; news; interest; breath
trad. (消息)		消	息
simp. #(消息)		消	息

Pronunciation

Rime
Character	消	息
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	心 (16)	心 (16)
Final (韻)	宵 (91)	職 (134)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	相邀切	相即切
Baxter	sjew	sik
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/siᴇu/	/sɨk̚/
Pan Wuyun	/siɛu/	/sɨk̚/
Shao Rongfen	/sjæu/	/siek̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/siaw/	/sik̚/
Li Rong	/siɛu/	/siək̚/
Wang Li	/sĭɛu/	/sĭək̚/
Bernard Karlgren	/si̯ɛu/	/si̯ək̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	xiāo	xi
Expected Cantonese Reflex	siu1	sik1

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	消	息
Reading #	1/1	1/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	xiāo	xī
Middle Chinese	‹ sjew ›	‹ sik ›
Old Chinese	/*[s]ew/	/*sək/
English	dissolve; disappear	breathe
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	消	息
Reading #	1/1	1/1
No.	13739	13332
Phonetic component	肖	息
Rime group	宵	職
Rime subdivision	2	0
Corresponding MC rime	宵	息
Old Chinese	/*sew/	/*slɯɡ/
Notes		說文自亦聲

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): xiāoxi, xiāoxī, xiāoxí

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄠ ˙ㄒㄧ, ㄒㄧㄠ ㄒㄧ, ㄒㄧㄠ ㄒㄧˊ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): xiao¹ xi²

• Cantonese (Jyutping): siu¹ sik¹

• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): sêu-sit
• Eastern Min (BUC): siĕu-sék
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): siau-sit

  (Teochew, Peng'im): siou¹ sêg⁴

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹shiau-shiq₇

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese, Mainland)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xiāoxi
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄠ ˙ㄒㄧ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: siaosi̊
    • Wade–Giles: hsiao¹-hsi⁵
    • Yale: syāu-syi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shiau.shi
    • Palladius: сяоси (sjaosi)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ɕi²/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xiāoxir
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄠ ˙ㄒㄧㄦ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: siaosi̊r
    • Wade–Giles: hsiao¹-hsi⁵-ʼrh
    • Yale: syāu-syir
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shiau.shiel
    • Palladius: сяосир (sjaosir)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ɕiə̯ɻ²/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, Mainland)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xiāoxī
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄠ ㄒㄧ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: siaosi
    • Wade–Giles: hsiao¹-hsi¹
    • Yale: syāu-syī
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shiaushi
    • Palladius: сяоси (sjaosi)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ɕi⁵⁵/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, Taiwan)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xiāoxí
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄠ ㄒㄧˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: siaosí
    • Wade–Giles: hsiao¹-hsi²
    • Yale: syāu-syí
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shiaushyi
    • Palladius: сяоси (sjaosi)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ɕi³⁵/

Note:

• xiāoxi - noun;
• xiāoxir - “message; news; information; hidden mechanical device; earpick”.

• • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: xiao¹ xi²
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: xiaoxi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕiau⁵⁵ ɕi²¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: siu¹ sik¹
    • Yale: sīu sīk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: siu¹ sik⁷
    • Guangdong Romanization: xiu¹ xig¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siːu̯⁵⁵ sɪk̚⁵/
    • Homophones:

      edit edit 消息 消釋／消释

• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sêu-sit
    • Hakka Romanization System: seu^ˊ xid^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: seu¹ xid⁵
    • Sinological IPA: /seu̯²⁴ sit̚²/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: siĕu-sék
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sieu⁵⁵⁻⁵³ ^(s-)lɛiʔ²⁴/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: siau-sit
    • Tâi-lô: siau-sit
    • Phofsit Daibuun: siausid
    • IPA (Xiamen): /siau⁴⁴⁻²² sit̚³²/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /siau³³ sit̚⁵/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /siau⁴⁴⁻²² sit̚³²/
    • IPA (Taipei): /siau⁴⁴⁻³³ sit̚³²/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /siau⁴⁴⁻³³ sit̚³²/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: siou¹ sêg⁴
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: siou sek
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siou³³⁻²³ sek̚²/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹shiau-shiq₇
    • MiniDict: shiau^平 shih^入
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹xiau-xiq₄
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ɕiɔ⁵⁵ ɕiɪʔ²¹/

---

• Middle Chinese: sjew sik

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[s]ew  sək/

  (Zhengzhang): /*sew  slɯɡ/

• (Hokkien) Homophone: 消失 (siau-sit)

Noun

消息

1. (countable, uncountable) message; news; information (Classifier: 條／条; 個／个)

   內部消息／内部消息  ―  nèibù xiāoxi  ―  inside news

   我有一個好消息，和一個壞消息，你想先聽哪一個？ [MSC, trad.]
   我有一个好消息，和一个坏消息，你想先听哪一个？ [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ yǒu yī ge hǎo xiāoxi, hé yī ge huài xiāoxi, nǐ xiǎng xiān tīng nǎ yī ge? [Pinyin]

   I have good news and I have bad news - which one would you like to hear first?

   等你好消息。  ―  Děng nǐ hǎo xiāoxi.  ―  Look forward to hearing the good news.

2. (countable) sign; clue

   • 積薄為厚，積卑為高，故君子日孳孳以成輝，小人日怏怏以至辱。其消息也，離朱弗能見也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     积薄为厚，积卑为高，故君子日孳孳以成辉，小人日怏怏以至辱。其消息也，离朱弗能见也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Huainanzi, 2^nd century BCE

     Jī bó wèi hòu, jī bēi wèi gāo, gù jūnzǐ rì zīzī yǐ chéng huī, xiǎorén rì yàngyàng yǐ zhì rǔ. Qí xiāoxī yě, Lízhū fú néng jiàn yě. [Pinyin]

     Accumulating the thin makes the thick; accumulating the lowly makes the lofty. Thus, a virtuous man works diligently everyday to his splendour, and the vile man is sullen everyday to his disgrace. This is its sign, that Lizhu cannot see.

   • 客子光陰詩卷裏，杏花消息雨聲中。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     客子光阴诗卷里，杏花消息雨声中。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: Song dynasty, 陳與義 [Chen Yuyi], 懷天經智老因訪之

     Kèzǐ guāngyīn shījuàn lǐ, xìnghuā xiāoxī yǔshēng zhōng. [Pinyin]

     The time of one who lives abroad is in scrolls of poetry; the sign of apricot blossom [e.g. spring] is in the sound of rain.

   • 從這消極的打算上，就可以窺見那消息。 [MSC, trad.]
     从这消极的打算上，就可以窥见那消息。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1935, 魯迅 [Lu Xun], 在現代中國的孔夫子

     Cóng zhè xiāojí de dǎsuàn shàng, jiù kěyǐ kuījiàn nà xiāoxi. [Pinyin]

     From this passive intention, we can see that sign.

3. (dialectal, countable) hidden mechanical device that moves other parts of the contraption when touched

   • 火坑裏消息我敢踏，油鑊內錢財我敢拿。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     火坑里消息我敢踏，油镬内钱财我敢拿。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Yuan dynasty, 岳伯川, 《鐵拐李》

     Huǒkēng lǐ xiāoxī wǒ gǎn tà, yóuhuò nèi qiáncái wǒ gǎn ná. [Pinyin]

     The hidden contraption in the fire pit, I dare step on; the money in the oiled wok, I dare take.

   • 不意劉姥姥亂摸之間，其力巧合，便撞開消息，掩過鏡子，露出門來。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     不意刘姥姥乱摸之间，其力巧合，便撞开消息，掩过镜子，露出门来。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Cao Xueqin, Dream of the Red Chamber, mid-18^th century CE

     Bùyì Liú lǎolao luàn mō zhījiān, qí lì qiǎohé, biàn zhuàngkāi xiāoxi, yǎn guò jìngzi, lòuchū mén lai. [Pinyin]

     To her surprise, Granny Liu, while randomly groping, hit the hidden contraption open with accidental force. It covered up the mirror and a door appeared.

   • 摸了多時，可巧手指一按，只聽咯噎一聲，將消息滑開，卻是個轉身門兒。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     摸了多时，可巧手指一按，只听咯噎一声，将消息滑开，却是个转身门儿。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Three Heroes and Five Gallants, 1883 CE

     Mō le duōshí, kěqiǎo shǒuzhǐ yī àn, zhǐ tīng gēyē yī shēng, jiāng xiāoxi huákāi, què shì ge zhuǎnshēnmén'ér. [Pinyin]

     He groped for a while. As luck would have it, when he pressed with his finger, only a sound was heard. He slid the hidden contraption open, yet it was a revolving door.

4. (Beijing Mandarin, Hokkien) earpick

Usage notes

• (news): 消息 (xiāoxi) refers to news as in new information; to express the meaning of news as in reports of current events, use 新聞／新闻 (xīnwén).
• (news): In Mandarin, "news" is countable. Therefore, as one can say:

  兩個消息，三個消息，等等 [MSC, trad.]
  两个消息，三个消息，等等 [MSC, simp.]

  liǎng ge xiāoxi, sān ge xiāoxi, děngděng [Pinyin]

  Two pieces of news, three pieces of news, etc.

Synonyms

• (information):

edit

• 信 (literary, or in compounds)
• 信息 (xìnxī) (chiefly Mainland China)
• 情報／情报 (qíngbào) (especially in the military or espionage)
• 線索／线索 (xiànsuǒ)
• 耗 (literary, or in compounds, chiefly bad news)
• 資訊／资讯 (zīxùn) (chiefly Taiwan and Hong Kong)

 

• (earpick):

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		耳挖子, 耳勺子
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	耳挖勺兒, 耳挖子, 消息兒, 耳捻子
	Taiwan	耳挖子
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	耳彎勺兒, 挖耳勺兒
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	耳勺兒
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	挖耳勺兒
	Xi'an	挖耳勺兒
	Xining	耳挖子
	Xuzhou	耳挖子
Lanyin Mandarin	Ürümqi	挖耳子
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	挖耳子
	Wuhan	挖耳
	Guiyang	挖耳瓢
	Liuzhou	挖耳瓢
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	耳扒, 耳挖子
	Yangzhou	耳扒子
Cantonese	Guangzhou	耳挖
	Hong Kong	耳挖
	Taishan	耳挖, 耳屎捋
	Dongguan	耳搭
Gan	Nanchang	挖耳子, 挖耳耙子
	Lichuan	耳屎耙, 耳屎耙兒
	Pingxiang	耳屎耙子, 挖耳耙子
Hakka	Meixian	耳耙仔
	Yudu	耳挖子
Huizhou	Jixi	耳朵挖, 耳朵扒
Jin	Taiyuan	挖匙子
Northern Min	Jian'ou	耳耙仔
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	耳扒, 耳扒囝
Southern Min	Xiamen	鉤盌, 鉤耳仔, 消息
	Quanzhou	鉤耳仔, 消息
	Zhangzhou	鉤盌, 鉤耳仔, 消息
	Tainan	耳扒仔, 鉤耳
	Leizhou	鉤耳仔
	Haikou	耳挖, 耳鉤, 挖耳
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	耳挖, 挖耳殼
Wu	Shanghai	挖耳
	Shanghai (Chongming)	挖耳
	Suzhou	挖耳
	Danyang	耳朵扒子
	Hangzhou	耳勺兒
	Ningbo	挖耳, 耳朵彎
	Wenzhou	耳朵爬兒
	Jinhua	耳朵挖兒, 挖耳
Xiang	Changsha	挖耳子
	Loudi	挖耳子

Dialectal synonyms of 耳挖子 (“earpick”) [map]

Derived terms

• 小道消息 (xiǎodào xiāoxī)

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (消息):

• → Japanese: 消(しょう)息(そく) (shōsoku)
• → Korean: 소식(消息) (sosik)

Verb

消息

1. (archaic) to increase and decrease; to ebb and flow; to rise and fall
2. (archaic) to subjoin
3. (archaic) to change
4. (archaic) to rest; to recuperate
5. (archaic) to calm down
6. (archaic) to deliberate

References

• “Entry #6293”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2024.

Japanese

Kanji in this term
消	息
しょう Grade: 3	そく Grade: 3
on'yomi

Noun

消(しょう)息(そく) • (shōsoku) 

1. word (news, tidings)
2. recent information, developments

References

• 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.

Korean

Hanja in this term
消	息

Noun

消息 • (sosik) (hangeul 소식)

1. hanja form^? of 소식 (“news”)