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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "novel" in Chinese?
小说
xiǎo shuō
In Chinese, "novel" is 小说 (xiǎo shuō).
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Pronunciation
Say it as "xiǎo shuō" — third tone, then first tone — dipping low then curling back up, like a small scoop; then the next syllable is held flat and steady, almost like humming one note.
Writing and usage
小说 is written using hanzi. It's a noun, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
他昨晚刚读完小说。
tā zuó wǎn gāng dú wán xiǎo shuō 。
He finished reading the novel last night.
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How to remember 小说
Attach "xiǎo shuō" to the moment when he finished reading the novel last night; the pairing is hard to forget.
Related words
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 小说
How do you pronounce 小说?
Say it as "xiǎo shuō" — third tone, then first tone — dipping low then curling back up, like a small scoop; then the next syllable is held flat and steady, almost like humming one note.
Is 小说 formal or casual?
小说 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 小说 used in Chinese?
小说 is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: 他昨晚刚读完小说。 (He finished reading the novel last night.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Novel" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
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