消息

• (Hokkien) Homophone: 消失 (siau-sit)

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?

   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.

     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.

     The time of one who lives abroad is in scrolls of poetry; the sign of apricot blossom 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.

     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.

     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.

     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.

     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

• (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

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

• (information):

• (earpick):

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

• “Entry #6293”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.

消(しょう)息(そく) • (shōsoku) 

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

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

消息 • (sosik) (hangeul 소식)

1. hanja form^? of 소식 (“news”)