Literature and poetry Chinese vocabulary: Outside HSK

爷爷爱听人讲章回小说。

Yéye ài tīng rén jiǎng zhānghuíxiǎoshuō.

Grandpa loves listening to people tell chapter-style novels.

章回小说每一回都有标题。

Zhānghuíxiǎoshuō měi yìhuí dōu yǒu biāotí.

Every chapter of a chapter-style novel has its own heading.

五经里包括诗经和春秋。

Wǔjīng lǐ bāokuò shījīng hé chūnqiū.

The Five Classics include the Book of Songs and the Spring and Autumn Annals.

《诗经》是中国最早的诗歌总集。

《Shījīng》shì Zhōngguó zuì zǎo de shīgē zǒngjí.

The Book of Songs is China's earliest anthology of poetry.

你读过楚辞里的哪一篇？

Nǐ dúguo Chǔcí lǐ de nǎ yìpiān?

Which piece from the Songs of Chu have you read?

同学们正在课堂上学习《楚辞》。

Tóngxuémen zhèngzài kètáng shàng xuéxí《Chǔcí》.

The students are studying the Songs of Chu in class.

你喜欢唐诗还是元曲？

Nǐ xǐhuan Tángshī háishi yuánqǔ?

Do you prefer Tang poetry or Yuan drama-songs?

这位教授专门研究元曲。

Zhèwèi jiàoshòu zhuānmén yánjiū yuánqǔ.

This professor specializes in Yuan dynasty drama-songs.

写律诗要注意平仄。

Xiě lǜshī yào zhùyì píngzè.

When writing regulated verse, you have to pay attention to level and oblique tones.

律诗的中间两联必须对仗。

Lǜshī de zhōngjiān liǎng lián bìxū duìzhàng.

The middle two couplets of a regulated verse must be antithetically parallel.

这首绝句只有四句话。

Zhè shǒu juéjù zhǐyǒu sìjù huà.

This quatrain has only four lines.

一首绝句通常有起承转合。

Yì shǒu juéjù tōngcháng yǒu qǐchéngzhuǎnhé.

A quatrain usually follows the introduction, development, turn and conclusion structure.

他读诗的时候，很讲究平仄。

Tā dú shī de shíhou, hěn jiǎngjiu píngzè.

When he reads poetry, he is very particular about level and oblique tones.

古诗的格律很严格。

Gǔshī de gélǜ hěn yángé.

The metrical rules of classical poetry are very strict.

我正在学习写诗的格律。

Wǒ zhèngzài xuéxí xiěshī de gélǜ.

I am learning the metrical rules for writing poetry.

这首词写得很豪放。

Zhè shǒu cí xiě de hěn háofàng.

This lyric poem is written in a very bold, unrestrained style.

你觉得这首词是婉约还是豪放？

Nǐ juéde zhè shǒu cí shì wǎnyuē háishi háofàng?

Do you think this ci poem is graceful or bold?

婉约的诗常常写爱情和思念。

Wǎnyuē de shī chángcháng xiě àiqíng hé sīniàn.

Graceful, restrained poems often write about love and longing.

读了这首诗，你有乡愁吗？

Dúle zhè shǒu shī, nǐ yǒu xiāngchóu ma?

After reading this poem, do you feel homesick?

淡淡的乡愁让这首诗很动人。

Dàndàn de xiāngchóu ràng zhè shǒu shī hěn dòngrén.

A faint sense of homesickness makes this poem very moving.

他读着唐诗，慢慢思乡了。

Tā dúzhe Tángshī, mànmàn sīxiāng le.

As he read Tang poems, he slowly began to feel homesick.

古诗里常有游子思乡的句子。

Gǔshī lǐ cháng yǒu yóuzǐ sīxiāng de jùzi.

Classical poems often have lines about wanderers longing for home.

明月不常圆，好花容易落

míngyuè bù cháng yuán, hǎo huā róngyì luò

the bright moon isn't always full, good flowers easily fall

水中明月，看得见，捞不着

shuǐ zhōng míngyuè, kàndejiàn, lāo bù zháo

the bright moon in the water: you can see it but can't scoop it up

河边的杨柳让他想起离别。

Hébiān de yángliǔ ràng tā xiǎngqǐ líbié.

The willows by the river reminded him of parting.

诗中的杨柳，总是和离别有关。

Shī zhōng de yángliǔ, zǒngshì hé líbié yǒuguān.

The willows in poems are always connected with parting.

和尚在庙里吟诵经文。

Héshang zài miào lǐ yínsòng jīngwén.

The monk chants scriptures in the temple.

夜深了，他还在低声吟诵唐诗。

Yèshēn le, tā hái zài dīshēng yínsòng Tángshī.

It was late at night, and he was still quietly intoning Tang poems.

这位作家的文笔很细腻。

Zhèwèi zuòjiā de wénbǐ hěn xìnì.

This writer's style is very delicate and refined.

他文笔朴实，读着很舒服。

Tā wénbǐ pǔshí, dúzhe hěn shūfu.

His writing style is plain, and it's pleasant to read.

这首诗的意蕴很深。

Zhè shǒu shī de yìyùn hěn shēn.

This poem has a very deep inner meaning.

结尾的意蕴让读者想了很久。

Jiéwěi de yìyùn ràng dúzhě xiǎngle hěn jiǔ.

The implication of the ending kept readers thinking for a long time.

古诗的神韵很难翻译。

Gǔshī de shényùn hěn nán fānyì.

The grace of classical poetry is very hard to translate.

你觉得这首词有神韵吗？

Nǐ juéde zhè shǒu cí yǒu shényùn ma?

Do you think this ci poem has real grace?

这本诗集的格调很清新。

Zhè běn shījí de gédiào hěn qīngxīn.

The style of this poetry collection is very fresh.

这位作家的格调一向朴实。

Zhèwèi zuòjiā de gédiào yíxiàng pǔshí.

This writer's way of working has always been plain and unpretentious.

他写人物，喜欢用白描。

Tā xiě rénwù, xǐhuan yòng báimiáo.

When he writes about characters, he likes to use simple, direct portrayal.

白描就是不用华丽的词。

Báimiáo jiùshì búyòng huálì de cí.

Plain description means not using flowery words.

他的诗文很有风骨。

Tā de shīwén hěn yǒu fēnggǔ.

His poetry and prose have real strength of character.

这幅字笔力刚劲，很有风骨。

Zhè fú zì bǐlì gāngjìng, hěn yǒu fēnggǔ.

The brushwork of this calligraphy is bold and has real vigor.

他的散文简单却隽永。

Tā de sǎnwén jiǎndān què juànyǒng.

His prose is simple yet full of lasting meaning.

这篇小说结尾很隽永吗？

Zhè piān xiǎoshuō jiéwěi hěn juànyǒng ma?

Is the ending of this novel really so profound and memorable?

写文章用典要自然。

Xiě wénzhāng yòngdiǎn yào zìrán.

When you write an essay, the use of allusions should feel natural.

古人写诗为什么爱用典？

Gǔrén xiěshī wèishénme ài yòngdiǎn?

Why did the ancients like to use classical allusions when writing poetry?

写作不要只堆砌辞藻。

Xiězuò búyào zhǐ duīqì cízǎo.

When you write, don't just pile up fancy words.

好诗不一定要堆砌辞藻。

Hǎo shī bù yídìng yào duīqì cízǎo.

A good poem doesn't have to pile up fancy wording.

作文要有起承转合。

Zuòwén yào yǒu qǐchéngzhuǎnhé.

An essay needs a clear structure of opening, development, turn and conclusion.