Classical Chinese Lessons 5-8 Flashcards
What does 也 mean?
It’s a particle.
- it can place a special emphasis on a phrase. -> indicating an emphasis.
What is the function of 也?
Can be used in XY 也 sentences -> to create a “copular” sentence (“to be” sentences. -> to create the “nominal” sentence
- Here you put the 2 elements side by side, and then end the sentence with 也.
- Eg. That / silkworm 也
-> if the two parts of the sentence (“X” and “Y”) are too long, then will usually separate them with a comma (but not always)
- Eg. 魯公仁人也 The Duke of Lu is a kind man.
- 管仲, 知修行而諫其君者也 Guan Zhong is the one who knows how to cultivate his conduct and remonstrate with his lord.
How do you use XY 也 sentences with 所?
A sort of “definition” form.
子之所往,趙也。 The place you are going to is Zhao
公盧之所諫,趙簡子也。The one whom Gong Lu remonstrated with is Viscount
Jian of Zhao.
魚所逃,淺水也。What fish flee is shallow water.
我所不飲,酒也。 What I don’t drink is ale
- It can be used on either side:
酒,我所不飲也。 Ale is what I don’t drink.
魚,我所欲也。 Fish is what I like.
What does 三 mean?
Three, third; three times.
What does 亡 (wang2) mean?
To lose, to destroy, to die, to be lost, to escape.
- all meanings are tied to loss or absence.
What does 共 mean?
Together, both.
What does 勝 (sheng4) mean?
To triumph over, to defeat; to be superior to; victory.
What does 獲 mean?
To catch; to obtain
- synonym: 得. Also, like 得,獲 can be used with another verb, “to be able to…”
What does 卒 mean?
- Finally, in the end.*
- To die
- Foot soldier.
- Hastily (used as a substitute for 猝)
- To crowd, to throng (used as a substitute for 萃)
- Meanings #2 and #3 are quite common, though they are not encountered in our texts.
- synonym (meaning #1): 終
What does 即 mean?
- Right then; immediately; then.*
- To go to, to proceed to.
What does 嘗 mean?
- To taste, to prove, to experience, to try; test.
- In the past. *
- one of a number in literary Chinese indicating the past tense. Sometimes it is used to represent constant or frequent occurrence in the past (“often”).
What does 居 mean?
- To occupy [a place], to live [in a place].
- To pass by (of time).*
- Synonym (meaning #1): 在. Meaning #2 occurs at the beginning of sentences to indicate a passage of time: 居三年, “after three years went by”; 居一月, “after a month went by”. and so forth.
What does 已 mean?
- Already; to the end, to stop.*
- [Sentence-ending particle, used for 矣]
What does 年 mean?
Year.
What does 懼 mean?
Te fear, to dread; fear timidity.
What does 晉 mean?
The state of Jin.
What does 次 mean?
Sequence, order; next.
- In L8 以次 would mean “by means of order,” that is, “in turn,” “one by one.”
What does 殺 mean?
To kill.
What does 皆 mean?
All, every.
What does 相 mean?
- Mutually, each other.
- Government minister; to serve [a state] as a government minister.
- Physiognomy; fate, fortune, good fortune.
- The adverb (meaning #1) is most common, though meaning 2 is encountered frequently in historical writing.
- combining this character with 相謂曰 we get “they addressed each other syaing, saying…”
What does 矣 yi3 mean?
[Final particle: indicates emphasis or completion of an action]
- Note that 已 can serve the same purpose.
What does 秦 qin2 mean?
The state of Qin. 秦 eventually conquered all other states and established the first Chinese empire.
What does 謂 mean?
- To name; to assume, to think.
- To say [to someone]. [coverb]*
- Meaning #2 (as seen in L8) indicates the person to whom one is speaking, with the pattern 謂X曰.
Eg. 孔子謂公曰, “Confucius addressed the duke, saying …”
- When the person being addressed is clear from context, then the writer will simply give 謂曰, “he addressed [him], saying…” -> 穆公謂曰: “Duke Mu said [to the men]…”
What does 諸 zhu1 mean?
- [Particle: plural marker.]*
- [Fusion particle; equivalent to 之 + 乎.
- When placed in front of a noun, 諸 makes the noun plural.
What does 遂 sui4 mean?
- Then, thereupon.*
- To follow, to pursue.
- With 因 and 於是, 遂 is one of the most common words indicating the temporal sequence of events.
What does 食 shi2 mean?
- Food; to eat.*
- To cause to eat, to feed.
- Rice, cooked grain.
What does 馬 mean?
Horse.
What does 圍 wei2 mean?
- To surround, to besiege.*
- Hand-span (measurement of circumference).
- Meaning #2 refers to the habit of judging the circumference of a round object by using the length of an extended hand, from tip of little finger to tip of thumb, as a unit of measure.
What does 恩 en1 mean?
Grace, favour, kindness, mercy.
- often used for the favours bestowed by the ruler on his people. 報恩 is commonly used to refer to the repayment for such gratitude that a subject undertakes.
What does 慚 (can2) mean?
To be ashamed.
What does 穆 mu4 mean?
Majestic, reverent,
- found frequently in posthumous titles.
What does 肉 mean?
Meat, flesh.
What does 駿 jun4 mean?
Swift.
- often describes fast horses.
What does 世 shi4 mean?
Human society, the world; the age, a generation.
What does 亦 yi4 mean?
- Also, again.*
- Indeed.
- it either implies repetition (“also,” “again”) or simply is used for emphasis.
What does 伯 bo2 mean?
- Senior or elder of a group of brothers (as opposed to 仲, the middle brother).
- “Earl” (a feudal title)
- Note that 伯父,like 父伯 can refer to an uncle. (In L7 伯 is part of a name).
What does 千 mean?
One thousand.
What does 哉 zai1 mean?
[Final particle: expresses exclamation or surprise.].
eg. 賢者奚由盡忠哉
What does 太 mean?
Great, enormous, significant.
What does 少 mean?
shao3 (1-2); shao4 (3)
1. Small; few; a little; scarce. *
2. To belittle, to consider small.
3. Young, youth.
What does 山 mean?
Mountain, hill.
eg. 太山 Mt. Tai.
What does 待 dai3 mean?
To await, to depend on.
What does 志 (zhi4) mean?
Ambition, will, intention, inclination.
- often refers to what one’s mind is preoccupied with, sometimes even subconsciously. Eg. what 伯牙 was thinking of–even subconsciously–while playing:
方鼓而志在太山 Just as he was about to play, his mind was on Mount Tai.
What does 接 mean?
To join, to connect, to meet, to treat.
What does 方 mean?
- Just then, just as that moment.*
- Square.
- Scope, method, technique.
- Direction
- the adverbial use (meaning #1) is the most common.
What does 樂 mean?
- To pleasure in, to enjoy. (le4)
- Music (yue4)
伯樂 is a personal name tho.
What does 流 mean?
To flow, to cause to flow; a current.
What does 湯 mean?
tang1 (1-2); snag1 (3)
1. Hot water, boiling water, soup.
2. Tang (name of ancient sage king, founder of the Shang dynasty).
3. Seething; flooding.*
#3 is an uncommon meaning and pronunciation; #1 is much more common. In L7, 湯 is meant to be poetically descriptive of a river.
What does 然 mean?
- To be so, to be thus, to be right, to act thusly.*
- But.
- [Optional adverb marker: in x-manner”]
What does 獨 mean?
Alone, lonely, solitary; only.
- 非獨, “it is not only the case that…,” is a common expression.
What does 琴 mean?
Zither, harp, qin.
What does 由 (you2) mean?
- Reason, source, origin; to come from, to derive from.
- From. [coverb]*
- To resembles, to be like
奚由: how, why. [question word] -> another inverted question expression; it could be interpreted as 由奚, “from what,” that is, “how” or “why”.
What does 盡 mean?
To exhaust, to use to the fullest; exhaustively, entirely, completely, thoroughly, all, everyone.
- two related series of meanings: a verbal usage that emphasizes that an action is thoroughly carried out or that everyone is carrying out the action.
What does 絕 mean?
To cut short, to break, to interrupt, to take a direct route or shortcut.
What does 聽 mean?
ting1 (1) and ting4 (2)
1. to listen to, to heed.*
2. to allow, to permit, to give permission to.
- Generally speaking, 聞 can refer to any unintentional act of hearing, whereas 聽 tends to refer to deliberate acts of listening.
What does 若 mean?
- To resemble, to be like; seemingly; as if, by appearance.*
- If.
- [Informal second person pronoun–used for 汝]
- In meaning #1, 若 is thought to be a dialect variant of 如; consequently, 不若 has the same idiomatic meaning as 不如。EG??