<blockquote>
  <p>X were said to do Y</p>
</blockquote>

<p>can be translated to</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>据说X想做Y</p>
</blockquote>

<p>PS.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The hijackers were said to demand the plane to fly to Iran</p>
</blockquote>

<p>is equal to</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>It is said that hijackers demanded the plane to fly to Iran.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-18T14:28:27.010Z
2015-12-17T01:25:38.227Z
2015-12-17T01:25:38.227Z
einverne
<p>I think @Question Overflow tells the different. </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>告訴 means to tell</p>
</blockquote>

<p>e.g. You are told to bring your book to classroom.</p>

<p>When in a passive voice, 告诉 has the mean of request. Therefore last sentence means you are request to bring your book.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>说 means to say.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>When in a passive voice, 说 is same as 'somebody said' or 'it is said'. Therefore 说 is a better choice for your case. When the person who tell the message is not important, we say 据说 or 据传, which is the same as 'it is said' in English.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-18T12:14:35.490Z
2014-01-18T12:14:35.490Z
Kattern
<p>Example:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The hijackers were said to demand the plane to fly to Iran</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The only think I could think of was 有人告訴 (somebody said), and putting it at the beginning, like:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>有人告訴劫機者...</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Is this right? Or is there a better option?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-18T03:43:37.350Z
告訴 means to tell; 说 means to say. 据说 would be a better word.
杨以轩
<translation>
How to say X were said to do Y?
# How to say X were said to do Y?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-01-18)

Example:

> The hijackers were said to demand the plane to fly to Iran

The only think I could think of was 有人告訴 (somebody said), and putting it at the beginning, like:

> 有人告訴劫機者...

Is this right? Or is there a better option?

**Tags:** translation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 告訴 means to tell; 说 means to say. 据说 would be a better word.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-01-18. Score: 3

> X were said to do Y

can be translated to

> 据说X想做Y

PS.

> The hijackers were said to demand the plane to fly to Iran

is equal to

> It is said that hijackers demanded the plane to fly to Iran.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-01-18. Score: 2

I think @Question Overflow tells the different.

> 告訴 means to tell

e.g. You are told to bring your book to classroom.

When in a passive voice, 告诉 has the mean of request. Therefore last sentence means you are request to bring your book.

> 说 means to say.

When in a passive voice, 说 is same as 'somebody said' or 'it is said'. Therefore 说 is a better choice for your case. When the person who tell the message is not important, we say 据说 or 据传, which is the same as 'it is said' in English.


---

