Appreciate literary and figurative Chinese.
Literary devices:
Classical influence:
| Mandarin | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 比喻 | Metaphor | 这首诗用了比喻。 |
| 讽刺 | Irony / satire | 这个故事很讽刺。 |
| 象征 | Symbol | 龙象征力量。 |
| 意思 | Meaning | 这个词是什么意思？ |
| 诗 | Poem / poetry | 我喜欢中国古诗。 |
| 文学 | Literature | 我在学中国文学。 |
| Word | Phonetic | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| 比喻 | 3rd then 4th tone. Means "metaphor" | |
| 象征 | 4th then 1st tone. Means "symbol" | |
| 意思 | 4th then neutral. Means "meaning" |
Classical density: Literary Chinese uses fewer particles. For example 之 (zhī) can replace the modern possessive 的 (de) in set phrases and idioms.
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