伝説|でんせつdensetsu[0]heiban (flat)

1. no-adjectivelegend; folklore; tradition
   その歌うたは伝説でんせつに由来ゆらいする物ものだった。↗

   The song descended from a legend.

• Synonym言い伝えいいつたえNeutralNeutral term for sayings and beliefs handed down orally among ordinary people; 「伝説」 highlights the legendary, larger-than-life quality of the tale.
• Synonym伝承でんしょうWrittenWritten/formal prose word for handing down customs, beliefs and lore through generations, common in academic contexts; 「伝説」 stresses the legendary tale itself.
• Synonym昔話むかしばなしNeutralOld tales and fairy tales such as Momotaro; 「伝説」 tends to be tied to a specific place or person.
• Synonym伝えつたえWrittenArchaic-flavoured word for what has been handed down from the past; 「伝説」 is the everyday choice.
• Synonym口碑こうひWrittenWritten/formal prose and rare; refers to orally transmitted legends. In most contexts 「伝説」 is the natural word.
• Synonym民間伝承みんかんでんしょうWrittenFolklore-studies term for customs, tales and knowledge passed down among the common people; 「伝説」 centres on the legend itself.
• Synonym先祖伝承せんぞでんしょうWrittenRare word for tales handed down from one's ancestors; 「伝説」 is the broader, more common term.
• SynonymレジェンドNeutralLoanword used above all for a legendary person, a living legend, and even a map's legend; 「伝説」 leans more toward the handed-down story.
• Related物語ものがたりNeutralGeneral word for any story or tale; 「伝説」 specifically suggests a legend passed down with a touch of the marvellous.
• Related故事こじWrittenWritten/formal prose word for historical events and classical allusions, as in 「故事成語」; 「伝説」 stresses the legendary element.
• Related神話しんわNeutralMyths, whose protagonists are gods; in 「伝説」 the central figures are usually people or places.
• Related説話せつわWrittenAcademic term for folk tales and the setsuwa genre of tale literature; 「伝説」 stresses the legendary quality.
• Related語り草かたりぐさNeutralAnecdotes or favourite topics that get retold, as in 「語り草になる」.
• Related古伝こでんWrittenWritten/formal prose and rare, for legends of old; say 「伝説」 in ordinary usage.
• Antonym史実しじつWrittenWritten/formal prose word for historical fact, standing opposite to the legendary 「伝説」.
• Antonym現実げんじつNeutralEveryday reality, standing in contrast to the marvellous world of 「伝説」.

Use 「伝説」 for stories or figures handed down with a legendary aura, as in 「伝説の名選手」. For orally passed folk sayings pick 「言い伝え」, for folklore and its transmission 「伝承」, for tales of the gods 「神話」, for old tales like Momotaro 「昔話」, and for what actually happened 「史実」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 昔むかしから言い伝いいつたえられてきた話はなし。
2. 噂うわさに聞きくばかりで見みることがまれなものについての話はなし。また、それくらい稀有けうなこと。
3. 偉人いじんなどについて、後世こうせいまで語り伝かたりつたえられる話はなしやエピソードの類たぐい。また、そのように語かたられるほど業績ぎょうせきなどが素晴すばらしいこと。