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Chinese/Dictionary entry

弦外之音

xián wài zhī yīndictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
overtone (music) / (fig.) connotation / implied meaning
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-8ba3244721f9e2b4. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

弦外之音 弦外之音 [xian2 wai4 zhi1 yin1] /overtone (music)/(fig.) connotation/implied meaning/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

  • 弦
    xián

    bow string / string of musical instrument / watchspring / chord (segment of curve) / hypotenuse / CL:根[gēn]

  • 外
    wài

    outside / in addition / foreign / external

  • 之
    zhī

    (possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de]) / him / her / it

  • 音
    yīn

    sound / noise / note (of musical scale) / tone / news / syllable / reading (phonetic value of a character)

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.