Traditional Chinese arts Chinese vocabulary: Outside HSK

笔墨纸砚是文房四宝。

Bǐmò zhǐ yàn shì wénfángsìbǎo.

Brush, ink, paper and inkstone are the Four Treasures of the Study.

练书法要先买文房四宝。

Liàn shūfǎ yào xiānmǎi wénfángsìbǎo.

To practice calligraphy, you first need to buy the basic writing essentials.

他正在教室里练习篆刻。

Tā zhèngzài jiàoshì lǐ liànxí zhuànkè.

He is practicing seal carving in the classroom.

昆曲的唱腔特别优美。

Kūnqǔ de chàngqiāng tèbié yōuměi.

The singing style of Kunqu opera is especially beautiful.

茶馆里有人在唱昆曲。

Cháguǎn lǐ yǒurén zài chàng Kūnqǔ.

Someone in the teahouse is singing Kunqu opera.

你听过越剧的唱段吗？

Nǐ tīngguo yuèjù de chàngduàn ma?

Have you ever heard an aria from Yue opera?

这出越剧讲的是爱情故事。

Zhè chū yuèjù jiǎng de shì àiqíng gùshi.

This Yue opera is about a love story.

电视里正在播放豫剧。

Diànshì lǐ zhèngzài bōfàng yùjù.

Henan opera is being broadcast on TV right now.

豫剧是河南最有名的戏曲。

Yùjù shì Hénán zuì yǒumíng de xìqǔ.

Henan opera is the most famous form of opera in Henan.

川剧演员变脸变得真快！

Chuānjù yǎnyuán biànliǎn biànde zhēn kuài!

The Sichuan opera performer changes faces so fast!

川剧里的变脸太神奇了！

Chuānjù lǐ de biànliǎn tài shénqíle!

The face-changing in Sichuan opera is amazing!

戏台上做宰相,在位不长

xìtái shang zuò zǎixiàng,zàiwèi bù cháng

playing prime minister on the stage: not long in office

戏台上的夫妻,有名无实

xìtái shàng de fūqī,yǒumíngwúshí

a married couple on the stage: husband and wife in name only

小时候，奶奶常带我看皮影戏。

Xiǎoshíhou, nǎinai cháng dài wǒ kàn píyǐngxì.

When I was little, my grandma often took me to see shadow puppetry.

皮影戏是用灯光照出来的影子。

Píyǐngxì shì yòng dēngguāng zhào chūlái de yǐngzi.

Shadow puppetry uses shadows cast by a light.

这场木偶戏几点开始？

Zhè chǎng mù'ǒuxì jǐdiǎn kāishǐ?

What time does this puppet show start?

广场上有人在表演木偶戏。

Guǎngchǎng shàng yǒurén zài biǎoyǎn mù'ǒuxì.

Someone is performing a puppet show in the square.

茶馆里今天有人讲评书吗？

Cháguǎn lǐ jīntiān yǒurén jiǎng píngshū ma?

Is anyone telling pingshu at the teahouse today?

评书是很多听众喜闻乐见的形式。

Píngshū shì hěn duō tīngzhòng xǐwénlèjiàn de xíngshì.

Storytelling is a form that many listeners love.

古琴的声音很安静。

Gǔqín de shēngyīn hěn ānjìng.

The sound of the guqin is very calm.

她从小就跟老师学古琴。

Tā cóngxiǎo jiù gēn lǎoshī xué gǔqín.

She has studied the guqin with a teacher since she was little.

唢呐的声音又高又响。

Suǒnà de shēngyīn yòu gāo yòu xiǎng.

The suona sounds both high and loud.

半天云里吹唢呐，哪里哪

bàntiān Yún li chuī suǒnà, nǎlǐ nǎ

playing the suona up in the clouds: nǎ li nǎ

画家想画出山水的气韵。

Huàjiā xiǎng huà chū Shānshuǐ de qìyùn.

The painter wants to capture the spirit of the landscape.

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?

画里的荷花显得高洁。

Huà lǐ de héhuā xiǎnde gāojié.

The lotus in the painting looks lofty and unsullied.

老艺人品德高洁，人人敬重。

Lǎo yìrén pǐndé gāojié, rénrén jìngzhòng.

The old artist is of noble character and respected by everyone.

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.

国画为什么这么淡雅？

Guóhuà wèishénme zhème dànyǎ?

Why are traditional Chinese paintings so understated and elegant?

这只青花瓶颜色很淡雅。

Zhè zhī qīng huāpíng yánsè hěn dànyǎ.

The colors of this blue-and-white vase are simple and elegant.

请小心拿这只青花瓷碗。

Qǐng xiǎoxīn ná zhè zhī qīnghuācí wǎn.

Please be careful holding this blue-and-white porcelain bowl.

青花瓷上的图案是怎么画的？

Qīnghuācí shàng de tú'àn shì zěnme huà de?

How are the patterns on blue-and-white porcelain painted?

漆器不能放在太阳下面。

Qīqì bùnéng fàng zài tàiyang xiàmiàn.

Lacquerware shouldn't be left out in the sun.

漆器怎么保养才不会裂？

Qīqì zěnme bǎoyǎng cái búhuì liè?

How should lacquerware be cared for so it won't crack?

玉器摸起来又光滑又凉。

Yùqì mō qǐlai yòu guānghuá yòu liáng.

Jade ware feels both smooth and cool to the touch.

店里的玉器为什么这么贵？

Diàn lǐ de yùqì wèishénme zhème guì?

Why is the jade ware in this shop so expensive?

桌子上放着一个小泥塑。

Zhuōzi shàng fàngzhe yí gè xiǎo nísù.

There is a little clay figurine on the table.

我爸爸周末在社区学泥塑。

Wǒ bàba zhōumò zài shèqū xué nísù.

My dad learns clay modeling at the community center on weekends.

你会做面塑吗？

Nǐ huì zuò miànsù ma?

Do you know how to make dough figurines?

街头艺人正在表演面塑。

Jiētóuyìrén zhèngzài biǎoyǎn miànsù.

A street artist is performing dough modeling.

京剧也是非物质文化遗产。

Jīngjù yě shì fēiwùzhìwénhuàyíchǎn.

Peking opera is also intangible cultural heritage.

剪纸是一项非物质文化遗产。

Jiǎnzhǐ shì yí xiàng fēiwùzhìwénhuàyíchǎn.

Paper cutting is an item of intangible cultural heritage.

商店开业那天，门口请人舞狮。

Shāngdiàn kāiyè nàtiān, ménkǒu qǐng rén wǔshī.

On the day the shop opened, they hired people to do a lion dance at the entrance.

春节的时候，街上有舞狮表演。

Chūnjié de shíhou, jiēshang yǒu wǔshī biǎoyǎn.

During the Spring Festival, there are lion dance performances in the street.

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.

他送了我一件景泰蓝。

Tā sòngle wǒ yí jiàn jǐngtàilán.

He gave me a piece of cloisonné.

景泰蓝是怎么做出来的？

Jǐngtàilán shì zěnme zuò chūlái de?

How is cloisonné made?

这段折子戏我爷爷最爱听。

Zhè duàn zhézixì wǒ yéye zuì ài tīng.

My grandfather loves listening to this opera excerpt most.