Classical Chinese Lessons 1-4 Flashcards
What is the meaning of 知？
to know, to understand; to know how to; knowledge
eg. 小人不知德。 The petty person does not understand virtue.
What is the meaning of 不？
Not.
- 不 always negates a verb or adjective, so always expect a verb or adjective following it.
- but sometimes an adverb + verb can be taken together as a noun idea: 不知 can mean “ignorance”.
What is a noun idea? (L1)
An adverb + verb.
Eg. 不知 “ignorance”
自禁 as “self-control” (vs. “to control oneself”
不善: “evil, wickedness”
What does 人 mean?
- Person, people, human beings;
- Others, other people.
What does 以 mean?
- With, by means of. [coverb]
- In order to. [conjunction]
How is 以 often used?
As a coverb! It is used in combination with other verbs.
- serves the same purpose as English prepositions like “with,” “by means of,” and “through.”
- usually comes BEFORE the main verb and is followed by its own special object.
What does 命 mean?
- To command; a command.
- Fate; life span.
Note; what Heaven or the gods command for you is your fate. They also command your life span.
What does 善 mean?
- Good, excellent, virtuous; good [thing]; excellent [thing]*.
- To be good or skilled at [something].
- refers to either virtuous, moral behaviour, or to talent and skill.
What does 為 mean?
wei1 (1,3) or wei4 (2)
1. To do, to make, to be, to become.*
2. For the sake of, because of, on behalf of. (coverb)
- 君為民行德。The ruler practices virtue on behalf of the people.
-子為公就坐。 The minister proceeded to his seat for the sake of the duke.
3. [Marks a passive sentence pattern]
How do you use 為？
It is a coverb (and thus is read w/4th tone)
- It means “on behalf of” (usually) or “because of” (sometimes):
- 君為民行德。 The ruler practices virtue on behalf of the people.
- 子為其父棄酒。The son gave up ale for the sake of his father.
巨為公就坐。 The minister proceeded to his seat for the sake of the duke.
What does 笑 mean?
To laugh, to smile.
- Intransitive: 大笑 “laugh”
- Transitive: “to laugh at [someone/something]
What does 管 mean?
- Its a name in this lesson.
- flute, tube, pipe.
What does 聞 mean?
- To hear
- To smell.
- Learning, fame, reputation (ie. “what is heard”) -> also
巨
- Minister; subject [of a ruler]*
- First person pronoun when addressing a superior]*.
- Comparable to archaic English usages like “Your Humble Servant.”
What does 至 mean?
- To arrive.*
- To go so far as; to reach the point of.
報至死, “he took revenge to the extent of death”–he took revenge even to the extent that he risked death or killed his enemy. - When, when the time came that. 至行齊, “when he went to Qi…”
- The ultimate, the most, the perfect.
至善 “the most perfect good,” “the highest degree of good.”
What does 舉 mean?
- To raise, to lift; to mobilize [troops]; to light [a fire]*
- All, entire, every.
What does 計 mean?
To plan, to calculate; plans, calculate.
What does 起 mean?
To rise; to get up [from sleep].
What does 酒 mean?
- Alcoholic beverage.
- Banquet. [figurate usage.]
What does 飲 mean?
To drink.
-> In this anecdote (L4) the character is causative: “to make drink”)
What is a causative verb?
Verbs that represent letting or making someone else carry out the action of the verb. -> Context based.
- 巨坐仲父。 I provided a seat for my uncle [lit: “caused my uncle to sit”]
- 君行酒 The ruler passed around the ale [lit. “caused the ale to go.]
公趨其巨於家. The duke hurried his minister off to his house.
What does 齊 mean?
- The state of Qi.*
- a state in pre-imperial China. - To be equal, to be the same.
What does 舌 mean?
Tongue.
What does 觴 shang1 mean?
Cup, goblet, drinking cup; to offer a toast.
What does 事 mean?
- Thing, matter, affair, occupation, job.*
- To serve, to work for; to employ, to have as a servant.
- usually refers to matters, affairs, and abstract things.
What does 信 mean?
- Trustworthy, sincere; to believe; faith; trustworthiness *.
- Truly, actually.
What does 其 mean?
- This; that; these; those; its; his; her; their. [possessive and demonstrative adjective]. *
- Its most common is to signify “demonstrative” functions (this, that, the) or possession: 其魚 = this/that/the/her/his fish.
其心 his mind.
君得民心而後得其信。The ruler obtains the people’s hearts, and only then will he obtain their trust. - Perhaps, probably, should. [vague modal adverb].
What does 厚 mean?
Thick; generous.
What does 在 mean?
To be located in [a place]; to be at [a place]; to exist, to be living.
What does 去 mean?
- To leave, to abandon. [transitive]
- To leave, to depart. [intransitive].
What does 士 mean?
Knight; military officer; gentleman; gentry.
- Often referred to a land-owning “middle class,” sometimes warriors, sometimes scholars.
- Socially they were located between the aristocrats and the rulers on one side, and the common people on the other.
What does 宿 mean?
- To roost; to lodge, to spend the night; lodging, inn.*
- can apply to both animals roosting for the night and to humans spending the night somewhere. - Previous, former.
What does 屋 mean?
House, room.
What does 忠 mean?
Loyal, faithful; loyalty.
What does 愛 mean?
To love; to cherish; to begrudge.
- Usually does NOT imply romantic love in CC.
What does 成 mean?
To complete; to accomplish; to perfect; to become.
- Common in both transitive use (君成德 “The ruler perfects his virtue”);
and intransitive (德成, “Virtue comes to perfection.”)
What does 所 mean?
- Place, location.
- [Grammatical particle; turns a verb into a direct object.]* -> It is a FUNCTION WORD. -> creates a noun that ‘receives’ a verb.
SEE examples
How do you use 所？
It creates a noun that ‘receives’ verb:
所愛: That which is cherished.
所逃: That which is escaped
所失: That which is lost.
所死: That which is died for (the sake of)
所成: That which is succeeded/completed
If the verb in 所 takes a location as its object, then you may need to translate 所as place:
所去 the place that is abandoned
所歸: the place that is returned to.
所在: the place where [someone is located]
The person or thing carrying out the action in 所 structure is placed in a modifying position in front of the character, often connected to it by 之。
士（之）所愛 that which/what the knight loves
聖人(之)所逃: that which/what the wise person flees.
鳥(之）所去 that place the bird abandons
道(之)所在: Where the way is located.
君(之)所歸: the place that the ruler returns to.
What does 本 mean?
[Tree} root; fundamental; basics.
- 本 is often used to express important things, first things, or the essential nature of things.
What does 樹 mean?
- Tree. *
- To plant [a tree], to establish.
What does 歸 mean?
To go home; to give allegiance to; to find refuge with.
- expresses the action of going to where one “belongs”. Rivers 歸 to the sea. Vassals 歸 to their lord. Women 歸 to their husbands’ homes when they get married.
What does 死 mean?
Death; to die.
- normally intransitive (ie. it doesn’t take a direct object–you can’t “die someone”).
But in this it is followed by the direct object pronoun 之. -> 死 can take as its object the person for whom one dies (in an act of loyalty); this is usually one’s ruler or lord… 士死之 “…knights die for”
What does 水 mean?
Water.
-> sometimes used poetically for “river” (like “the waters of the Nile” in English).
What does 淺 mean?
Shallow.
- As can the English word for this meaning, this character can be used literally “shallow water” or metaphorically (“shallow feelings”).
What does 物 mean?
Thing; physical object.
萬物: “the ten thousand things,” is a common expression for all the things in the world.
What does 畏 mean?
To fear; to be in awe of; to respect.
What does 百 mean?
One hundred.
What does 禮 mean?
Rites, ceremonies; politeness, etiquette, courtesy; polite, courteous.
- another very important term in Confucian thinking.
What does 萬 mean?
Ten thousand.
- 萬物, “the ten thousand things,” is a common expression for all the things in the world.
What does 貴 mean?
Valuable, expensive; to value; to treasure.
- In other later texts, this character indicates members of the nobility and aristocracy.
What does 高 mean?
High, lofty.
What does 魚 mean?
Fish.
What does 鳥 mean?
Bird.
What does 漏 mean?
To leak.
What does 趨 mean?
To hurry; to hasten.
What does 逃 mean?
To flee, to escape.
What does 一 mean?
One; first; once.
What does 下 mean?
Under, below; to go down, to descend, to put down ; social inferiors; to give a social inferior.
- 天下: “Under Heaven” (ie. the world).
What does 之 mean?
- [A particle that connects nouns or noun clauses]*
- Him, her, it, them [direct object pronoun]
- To go.
What is the function of 之?
It is a function word that indicates a ‘subordinate’ relation between the 2 nouns it joins together: eg. [modifier 之 modified(noun)] -> like 的
eg. 草之青 the green of the grass.
- Connects two nouns or noun phrases; it can represent either possession or description:
君之謀 the ruler’s schemes
天下之國: the states of the world
聖人之時: the era of a wise person
小人之家 the petty person’s house
君子之後: behind the gentleman
為善之家: a family that does good
爭得道之民：a people that views to obtain the Way
逆善人之謀: a plot that goes against good people.
以福報國之天: a Heaven that rewards a state with good fortune.
SEE NOTES
What does 仁 mean?
Kindness, benevolence.
- One of the most important Confucian virtues.
What does 分 mean?
- To divide up, to apportion, to share. *
- Share, lot, fate.
What does 加 mean?
- To increase.
- To participate [in], to be of benefit.
- Increasingly, more. *
- To apply [to].
- Advantage, gain.
- adverbial usage (“increasingly, more”) functions as a way to express “comparatives”. Eg. 君子不加小 “the gentleman does not become any smaller;” 小人不加聖 “The petty person does not become any wiser.”
What does 反 mean?
To revolt; to go astray; to be perverse.*
2. To return.
3. On the contrary, contrary to expectations.
In all meanings, the idea of a counter-motion is implied by this character.
What does 喜 mean?
To be happy; to be delighted; to enjoy [something]; joy, pleasure.
What does 君 mean?
- Ruler, lord.*
- [Polite second person pronoun; compare Elizabethan English “My lord….” ]
What does 國 mean?
Country, state, capital.
What does 失 mean?
To lose, to be remiss, to neglect; loss, failure.
What does 子 mean?
- Son, child.*
- Master. [plote suffice]
- You. [pronoun].
- “Viscount” (a feudal title]
What does 孝 mean?
Filial, fialiality, filial piety.
- Another one of the most important Confucian virtues.
- 不孝 means “unfilial” or “unfiliality.”
What does 家 mean?
- House, household, family.*
- contrasted with 國 to represent the private realm (family, as opposed to country), or the noble families and clans that ruled the 國. - School of thought.
What does 後 mean?
- Behind, later, subsequently, afterward; to follow behind; to consider of lesser importance.*
- Posterity, successor, heir.
- Can generally refer to anything that is behind sth else, 9or (verbally) a movement toward the rear or a dismissal of sth as “secondary” or “less important”
而後： And then, only then. -> emphasizes that a first event must happen before a second event can occur.
What does 怒 mean?
Angry, anger.
What does 患 mean?
Grief, misfortune, disaster; to suffer, to worry about [a crisis].
What does 惠 mean?
Compassion, compassionate.
- 慈惠 = a synonym compound: two words with roughly the same meaning, used together for emphasis or to create a symmetrical rhythm.
What does 憂 mean?
Worry, anxiety, concern; to worry [about].
What does 易 mean?
- Easy; easily.*
- Often in conjunction with another verb to express the idea “easy to…”
Eg. 易導 “easy to lead”; 易行 “easy to carry out.” - Change; to change, to exchange; the Book of Changes (a Chinese classic).
What does 時 mean?
Time, the times, the era.
(之)時 is often used to mark a temporal clause. Eg. 聖人治天下之時, 民爭為善, “When a sagely person governs the world, then the people view to do good.”
What does 有 mean?
- To possess, to own, to have; possession.*
- being, existence; to exist, to be [in a place or among a group]. -> represents the existence of sth within a group or at a location. Eg. 有憂 “there is worry”; 君子有善人 “among gentlemen there are virtuous men.”
What does 朝 mean?
- Morning, dawn.*
- First day of the lunar month.
- [Royal or imperial] court; to hold court, to go to court, to summon to court.
一朝: Right away, immediately; in a brief period of time.
What does 權 mean?
- To weigh, to balance [physical objects].
- Circumstances, contingencies, temporary situation. *
- Influence, authority, power.
權謀: Grand strategies, provisional plans, resourcefulness. -> derives from the idea of the plans 謀 one develops in certain circumstances 權.
What does 民 mean?
The common people.
- usually describes the people as a group; it is rare to see an individual called a 民, unless his commoner status is being stressed.
What does 治 mean?
- To govern well, to put in order.*
- Government, administration.
What does 焉 mean?
- [An object pronoun].*
- generally represents a combination of 於 + object pronoun (eg. “from him,” “to her,” “toward it,” etc)
- sometimes it is best to translate it as here or there. - How. [question word].
How does 焉 function?
It’s a function word: a “locative object marker.”
- It marks the ‘destination’ or ‘location’ of a verb:
天下失道，而後義生焉
- 生焉 –> 生於是 -> Arise “in that” -> Arise there/at that point (…will arise where/when 天下失道)
- Often occurs at the end of sentences, but still has this meaning.
- Try 焉 as 於是/ “in that” first, if not possible treat as a “full stop”
What does 無 mean?
- To not have; nonpossession.*
- is the opposite of 有.
- 無 is a verb in itself. - Nonexistence, nothingness; to not exist.
- “Don’t…” [negative imperative].
What does 爭 mean?
- To vie, to compete, to struggle, to fight.*
- To try one’s hardest, to be eager to, to view [with others to accomplish something].
- second use accompanies another verb , and represents the eagerness of ppl to do something. Eg. 民爭偽善 “The people struggle to/compete to do good.” (ie. they are all extremely eager to do good).
What does 理 mean?
Principles; pattern, rationale; to straighten, to arrange, to put in order.
What does 終 mean?
To end, to die; ending; finally.
- When meaning “to die,” this word usually implies by natural causes, after a full life (eg. 君得終 “the ruler succeeded in living out his natural life span.”)
- 終身: All one’s life, to the end of one’s life.
What does 義 mean?
- Righteousness, justice; righteous, just.*
- the harder, more upright side. - Principles, ethical principles; principled, upright.
- Meaning, significance, main point.
What does 而 mean?
But, and, then.
- Only connects two verbs.
What does 而後 mean?
And then, only then.
- This phrase emphasizes that a first event must happen before a second event can occur.
What does 行 mean?
xing1 or xing4
1. To go, to walk; to act; to conduct [affairs]; to carry out [an action]; to circulate [information, currency, etc]; to practice, to put into practice. *
2. Behaviour, conduct.
- Most importantly, the basic meaning “to go” extends to ideas of behaviour and conduct.
What does 言 mean?
To speak, to say; words, speech.
- When 言 takes an object, it usually is the topic of speech. Eg. 人言禍. “People talk about disaster.”
What does 謀 mean?
Plans, schemes, strategy; to plot, to plan; resourceful.
- As a verb, it takes as its object either the thing that is being planned (聖人謀善, “The wise person plans a good thing’) or the thing that is being plotted against (小人謀國, “The petty person plotted against the state.” )
What does 身 mean?
Body, the self, oneself; personally; on one’s own.
終身: all one’s life, to the end of one’s life.
What does 終身 mean?
All one’s life, to the end of one’s life.
What does 道 mean?
- Road, path; skill, method; philosophy; the right way to live.*
- usually use “the Way” to indicate the proper path in life. - To speak, to say.
What does 難 mean?
- Difficult, hard to deal with.*
- Often used with a verb to express the idea “difficult to…” Eg. 難導 “difficult to lead”; 難行 “difficult to carry out” - Difficulty, problem.
What does 順 mean?
To act in accordance with, to agree with, to obey; favourable .
What does 循 mean?
To follow, to comply with.
- Near synonym for 順。
What does 逆 mean?
To go against [the right], to be perverse, to go awry.
What does 慈 mean?
Compassion, sympathy; compassionate.
What does 不 mean?
Not.
- Always negates verbs or adjectives, so always expect a verb or adjective following it.
What does 就 mean?
- to proceed; to go to*
- To carry out, to accomplish
What does 如 mean?
- To resemble; to be like.*
- To go [to].
- If, supposing.
