1.
word of mouth; hearsay
Information or news passed from person to person through spoken conversation rather than written communication.
2.
oral tradition; oral transmission
The practice of passing down knowledge, stories, or techniques verbally from one generation to the next.
In the era before writing, history was passed to the next generation through oral tradition.
Emphasizes that information travels through spoken word rather than written or digital means. The same kanji 口伝 read as くでん refers specifically to secret oral teachings in traditional arts or religion, while くちづて is the everyday word for word-of-mouth communication.
Common collocations
- 口伝で広まる: to spread by word of mouth
- 口伝で聞く: to hear through word of mouth
- 口伝で伝える: to pass on orally
- 口伝で伝わる: to be passed down orally