"ancient" Chinese-English Dictionary

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Chinese Pinyin Translation Actions
古老 gǔ lǎo ancient / old / age-old syn
久远 久遠 jiǔ yuǎn old / ancient / far away syn
ancient / old / paleo- syn
Chinese Pinyin Translation Actions
son / child / seed / egg / small thing / 1st earthly branch: 11 p.m.-1 a.m., midnight, 11th solar month (7th December to 5th January), year of the rat / viscount, fourth of five orders of nobility 五等爵位[wu3deng3 jue2wei4] / ancient Chinese compass point: 0° (north) / subsidiary / subordinate / (prefix) sub- syn
li, ancient measure of length, approx. 500 m / neighborhood / ancient administrative unit of 25 families / (Tw) borough, administrative unit between the township 鎮|镇[zhen4] and neighborhood 鄰|邻[lin2] levels syn
jīn gold / chemical element Au / generic term for lustrous and ductile metals / money / golden / highly respected / one of the eight categories of ancient musical instruments 八音[ba1 yin1] syn
wèi not yet / did not / have not / not / 8th earthly branch: 1-3 p.m., 6th solar month (7th July-6th August), year of the Sheep / ancient Chinese compass point: 210° syn
shí rock / stone / stone inscription / one of the eight categories of ancient musical instruments 八音[ba1 yin1] syn
dàn dry measure for grain equal to ten dou 斗[dou3] / one hundred liters / ancient pr. [shi2] syn
古代 gǔ dài ancient times syn
孙子 孫子 sūn zǐ Sun Tzu, also known as Sun Wu 孫武|孙武[Sun1 Wu3] (c. 500 BC, dates of birth and death uncertain), general, strategist and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period (700-475 BC), believed to be the author of the “Art of War” 孫子兵法|孙子兵法[Sun1 zi3 Bing1 fa3], one of the Seven Military Classics of ancient China 武經七書|武经七书[Wu3 jing1 Qi1 shu1] syn
祖先 zǔ xiān ancestors / forebears / (biology) ancestral species / ancient species from which present-day species evolved syn
古方 gǔ fāng ancient prescription
胡人 hú rén ethnic groups in the north and west of China in ancient times / foreigner / barbarian
舍人 shè rén ancient office title / rich and important person
古训 古訓 gǔ xùn old adage / ancient teaching syn
虎符 hǔ fú tiger tally (a two-piece object made in the shape of a tiger, used in ancient China as proof of authority. One half of a tally could be issued to a military officer and this would be matched with the other half when verification was required.) syn
司南 sī nán ancient Chinese compass syn
jué role (theater) / to compete / ancient three legged wine vessel / third note of pentatonic scale syn
jiǎ first of the ten Heavenly Stems 十天干[shi2 tian1 gan1] / (used for an unspecified person or thing) / first (in a list, as a party to a contract etc) / letter "A" or roman "I" in list "A, B, C", or "I, II, III" etc / armor plating / shell or carapace / (of the fingers or toes) nail / bladed leather or metal armor (old) / ranking system used in the Imperial examinations (old) / civil administration unit in the baojia 保甲[bao3 jia3] system (old) / ancient Chinese compass point: 75° syn
dīng male adult / the 4th of the 10 Heavenly Stems 天干[tian1gan1] / fourth (used like "4" or "D") / small cube of meat or vegetable / (literary) to encounter / (archaic) ancient Chinese compass point: 195° / (chemistry) butyl syn
second of the ten Heavenly Stems 十天干[shi2 tian1 gan1] / second in order / letter "B" or Roman "II" in list "A, B, C", or "I, II, III" etc / second party (in legal contract, usually 乙方[yi3 fang1], as opposed to 甲方[jia3 fang1]) / ethyl / bent / winding / radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 5) / ancient Chinese compass point: 105°
zǎi to slaughter / to butcher / to kill (animals etc) / (coll.) to fleece / to rip off / to overcharge / (bound form) to govern / to rule / (bound form) (a title for certain government officials in ancient China) syn
chuáng banner / pennant (in ancient China) syn
bǐng third of the ten Heavenly Stems 十天干[shi2 tian1 gan1] / third in order / letter "C" or Roman "III" in list "A, B, C", or "I, II, III" etc / ancient Chinese compass point: 165° / propyl syn
庞贝 龐貝 páng bèi Pompeii, ancient Roman town near Naples, Italy
长安 長安 cháng ān Chang'an (ancient name of Xi'an 西安[Xi1 an1]) capital of China during Tang Dynasty 唐朝[Tang2 chao2] / now 長安區|长安区[Chang2 an1 Qu1], a district of Xi'an
传世 傳世 chuán shì handed down from ancient times / family heirloom syn
东海 東海 dōng hǎi East China Sea / East Sea (Chinese mythology and ancient geography)
古城 gǔ chéng ancient city syn
大桥 大橋 dà qiáo Da Qiao, one of the Two Qiaos, according to Romance of the Three Kingdoms 三國演義|三国演义[San1 guo2 Yan3 yi4], the two great beauties of ancient China syn
自古 zì gǔ (since) ancient times / (from) time immemorial syn
古人 gǔ rén people of ancient times / the ancients / extinct human species such as Homo erectus or Homo neanderthalensis / (literary) deceased person syn
护卫 護衛 hù wèi to guard / to protect / bodyguard (for officials in ancient times) syn
司徒 sī tú minister of land and people (in ancient times)
前言 qián yán preface / foreword / introduction / preamble / earlier remarks / earlier words / (literary) words of the ancient thinkers syn
九州 jiǔ zhōu division of China during earliest dynasties / fig. ancient China / Kyūshū, southernmost of Japan's four major islands syn
远古 遠古 yuǎn gǔ antiquity / ancient times syn
古今 gǔ jīn then and now / ancient and modern
上古 shàng gǔ the distant past / ancient times / antiquity / early historical times syn
古装 古裝 gǔ zhuāng ancient costume / period costume (in movies etc)
元宝 元寶 yuán bǎo a silver or gold ingot / mock ingot (burnt as offering in worship) / a name for ancient currency / a rare genius syn
古籍 gǔ jí ancient text / antique books syn
小桥 小橋 xiǎo qiáo Xiao Qiao, one of the Two Qiaos, according to Romance of the Three Kingdoms 三國演義|三国演义[San1 guo2 Yan3 yi4], the two great beauties of ancient China
自古以来 自古以來 zì gǔ yǐ lái since ancient times syn
国学 國學 guó xué Chinese national culture / studies of ancient Chinese civilization / the Imperial College (history) syn
古堡 gǔ bǎo ancient castle syn
大和 dà hé Yamato, an ancient Japanese province, a period of Japanese history, a place name, a surname etc / Daiwa, a Japanese place name, business name etc
古希腊 古希臘 gǔ xī là ancient Greece
特洛伊 tè luò yī ancient city of Troy
古道 gǔ dào ancient road / precepts of the antiquity
古都 gǔ dū ancient capital syn
遗书 遺書 yí shū posthumous writing / testament / suicide note / ancient literature syn
典籍 diǎn jí ancient books or records syn
头巾 頭巾 tóu jīn cloth head covering worn by men in ancient times / headscarf (typically worn by women) / kerchief / turban syn
郎中 láng zhōng doctor (Chinese medicine) / ancient official title / companions (respectful) syn
巾帼 巾幗 jīn guó woman / woman's headdress (ancient) syn
太保 tài bǎo a very high official in ancient China / juvenile delinquents
旧书 舊書 jiù shū second-hand book / old book / ancient book syn
古罗马 古羅馬 gǔ luó mǎ ancient Rome
契丹 qì dān Qidan or Khitan, ethnic group in ancient China, a branch of the Eastern Hu people inhabiting the valley of the Xar Murun River in the upper reaches of the Liao River 遼河|辽河[Liao2 He2]
鸿沟 鴻溝 hóng gōu (fig.) gulf / chasm / wide gap / (originally) the Hong Canal in Henan, which in ancient times formed the border between enemies Chu 楚[Chu3] and Han 漢|汉[Han4] syn
古国 古國 gǔ guó ancient country
古书 古書 gǔ shū ancient book / old book syn
传道 傳道 chuán dào to lecture on doctrine / to expound the wisdom of ancient sages / to preach / a sermon syn
古往今来 古往今來 gǔ wǎng jīn lái since ancient times / since times immemorial syn
亘古 亙古 gèn gǔ throughout time / from ancient times (up to the present) syn
青铜器 青銅器 qīng tóng qì bronze implement / refers to ancient bronze artifacts, from c. 2,000 BC
兵家 bīng jiā military strategist in ancient China / military commander / soldier syn
幽州 yōu zhōu Youzhou, ancient province in north Hebei and Liaoning / Fanyang 範陽|范阳 ancient city near modern Beijing
扶桑 fú sāng Fusang, mythical island of ancient literature, often interpreted as Japan syn
露台 露臺 lù tái balcony / patio / flat roof / terrace / deck (unroofed platform) / outdoor stage / ancient imperial celestial observation terrace
云梯 雲梯 yún tī (military) ladder used for scaling the walls of a fortified place (i.e. for escalading) in ancient times / firefighters' extension ladder / stone steps on a mountain
古来 古來 gǔ lái since ancient times / it has ever been the case that syn
古时候 古時候 gǔ shí hou in ancient times / in olden days
鼓噪 gǔ zào (in ancient times) to beat the drums and yell (at the moment of launching into battle) / to create a clamor / to make a din / to kick up a fuss about syn
质子 質子 zhì zǐ proton (positively charged nuclear particle) / a prince sent to be held as a hostage in a neighbouring state in ancient China syn
故国 故國 gù guó country with an ancient history
相国 相國 xiàng guó prime minister (in ancient China)
大夏 dà xià Han Chinese name for an ancient Central Asia country
古语 古語 gǔ yǔ ancient language / old expression syn
竹简 竹簡 zhú jiǎn bamboo slips (used for writing on in ancient times)
先贤 先賢 xiān xián (literary) ancient sage syn
古文明 gǔ wén míng ancient civilization
古代史 gǔ dài shǐ ancient history syn
灭族 滅族 miè zú extermination of an entire family (ancient Chinese punishment) syn
古文化 gǔ wén huà ancient civilization
古人类 古人類 gǔ rén lèi ancient human species such as Homo erectus and Homo neanderthalensis
笑林 xiào lín Jokes (title of an ancient collection of jokes, often used in the title of modern collections of jokes)
孙武 孫武 sūn wǔ Sun Wu, also known as Sun Tzu 孫子|孙子[Sun1 zi3] (c. 500 BC, dates of birth and death uncertain), general, strategist and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period (700-475 BC), believed to be the author of the “Art of War” 孫子兵法|孙子兵法[Sun1 zi3 Bing1 fa3], one of the Seven Military Classics of ancient China 武經七書|武经七书[Wu3 jing1 Qi1 shu1]
经卷 經卷 jīng juàn volumes of classics / volumes of scriptures / ancient scrolls syn
姜子牙 薑子牙 jiāng zǐ yá Jiang Ziya (c. 1100 BC, dates of birth and death unknown), partly mythical sage advisor to King Wen of Zhou 周文王[Zhou1 Wen2 wang2] and purported author of “Six Secret Strategic Teachings” 六韜|六韬[Liu4 tao1], one of the Seven Military Classics of ancient China 武經七書|武经七书[Wu3 jing1 Qi1 shu1]
凤凰古城 鳳凰古城 fèng huáng gǔ chéng Fenghuang Ancient Town, in Fenghuang County, Xiangxi Prefecture, Hunan, added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2008 in the Cultural category
漕河 cáo hé waterway used for the transportation of grain (in ancient times) (esp. the Grand Canal 大運河|大运河[Da4 Yun4 he2])
鞑靼 韃靼 dá dá Tartar (various northern tribes in ancient China) / Tatar (Turkic ethnic group in central Asia)
故都 gù dū former capital / ancient capital syn
八音 bā yīn ancient classification system for musical instruments, based on the material of which the instrument is made (metal 金, stone 石, clay 土, leather 革, silk 絲|丝, wood 木, gourd 匏, bamboo 竹) / the eight kinds of sound produced by instruments in these categories / music
四大美女 sì dà měi nǚ the four legendary beauties of ancient China, namely: Xishi 西施[Xi1 shi1], Wang Zhaojun 王昭君[Wang2 Zhao1 jun1], Diaochan 貂蟬|貂蝉[Diao1 Chan2] and Yang Yuhuan 楊玉環|杨玉环[Yang2 Yu4 huan2]
太学 太學 tài xué Imperial College of Supreme Learning, established in 124 BC, and the highest educational institute in ancient China until the Sui Dynasty
震旦 zhèn dàn ancient Indian name for China
The four tones The four tones of Mandarin Pitch over time: tone 1 high and level (red), tone 2 rising (orange), tone 3 falling then rising (green), tone 4 falling (blue). tone 1 tone 2 tone 3 tone 4 Time Pitch

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