"Century" • Chinese-English Dictionary

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世纪 shì jì century / CL:個|个[ge4]
百年 bǎi nián hundred years / century / lifetime
年代 nián dài a decade of a century (e.g. the Sixties) / age / era / period / CL:個|个[ge4]
国语 Guó yǔ Chinese language (Mandarin), emphasizing its national nature / Chinese as a primary or secondary school subject / Chinese in the context of the Nationalist Government / Guoyu, book of historical narrative c. 10th-5th century BC
三国 Sān guó Three Kingdoms period (220-280) in Chinese history / any of several Three Kingdoms periods in Korean history, esp. from 1st century AD to unification under Silla 新羅|新罗[Xin1luo2] in 658
新世纪 xīn shì jì 21st century / New Century (commonly used name)
上世纪 shàng shì jì last century
近代 jìn dài the not-very-distant past / modern times, excluding recent decades / (in the context of Chinese history) the period from the Opium Wars until the May 4th Movement (mid-19th century to 1919) / capitalist times (pre-1949)
二十一世纪 èr shí yī shì jì 21st century
二十世纪 èr shí shì jì 20th century
客家 Kè jiā Hakka ethnic group, a subgroup of the Han that in the 13th century migrated from northern China to the south
侵华 qīn Huá to invade China (referring to 19th century imperialist powers and Japan)
他 tā (third-person singular) (since the early 20th century, usu. male) he / him / his / (bound form) other / another / some other (as in 他日[ta1ri4] and 他人[ta1ren2])
无厘头 wú lí tóu silly talk or "mo lei tau" (Cantonese), genre of humor emerging from Hong Kong late in the 20th century
世纪末 shì jì mò end of the century
活佛 huó fó Living Buddha / title of Mongolian Lamas from 17th century
明末 Míng mò late Ming / first half of the 17th century
吐蕃 Tǔ bō Tubo or Tufan, old name for Tibet / the Tibetan Tubo dynasty 7th-11th century AD / also pr. [Tu3 fan1]
皮蛋 pí dàn century egg / preserved egg
摩尼 Mó ní Mani (3rd century AD), Persian prophet and founder of Manichaeism
晚清 wǎn Qīng the late Qing / late 19th and early 20th century China
罗宾汉 Luó bīn hàn Robin Hood (English 12th century folk hero)
下西洋 xià xī yáng to sail west (from China) (used in reference to the 15th century voyages of Zheng He 鄭和|郑和[Zheng4 He2] to regions bordering the Indian Ocean)
妲己 Dá jǐ Daji (c. 11th century BC), concubine of the last Shang dynasty king Zhou Xin 紂辛|纣辛[Zhou4 Xin1]
商代 Shāng dài the prehistoric Shang dynasty (c. 16th-11th century BC)
李冰 Lǐ Bīng Li Bing (c. 3rd century BC) hydraulic engineer who designed the Dujiangyan 都江堰[Du1 jiang1 yan4] irrigation system in Sichuan
反清 fǎn Qīng anti-Qing / refers to the revolutionary movements in late 19th and early 20th century leading up to 1911 Xinhai Revolution 辛亥革命[Xin1 hai4 Ge2 ming4]
尔雅 Er3 yǎ "Erya" or "The Ready Guide", first extant Chinese dictionary, c. 3rd century BC, with glossaries on classical texts
唐三藏 Táng sān zàng Tripitaka, the central character of the 16th century novel "Journey to the West" 西遊記|西游记[Xi1you2Ji4], based on the monk Xuanzang 玄奘[Xuan2zang4] (602-664)
亚齐 Yà qí Aceh province of Indonesia in northwest Sumatra / Aceh sultanate 16th-19th century
半世纪 bàn shì jì half century
张骞 Zhāng Qiān Zhang Qian (-114 BC), Han dynasty explorer of 2nd century BC
甲骨 jiǎ gǔ tortoise shells and animal bones used for divination in the Shang Dynasty (c. 16th to 11th century BC) / oracle bones
徐福 Xú Fú Xu Fu (3rd century BC), Qin dynasty court necromancer
列子 Liè zǐ Lie Zi, Daoist author, said to be early Warring States period 戰國|战国[Zhan4 guo2] / Daoist text in eight chapters, said to be by Lie Zi, probably compiled during WeiJin times 魏晉|魏晋[Wei4 Jin4] (3rd century AD)
二十四史 Er4 shí sì Shǐ the Twenty-Four Histories (25 or 26 in modern editions), collection of books on Chinese dynastic history from 3000 BC till 17th century / fig. a long and complicated story
千字文 Qiān zì wén Thousand Character Classic, 6th century poem used as a traditional reading primer
蔺相如 Lìn Xiāng rú Ling Xiangru (dates unknown, 3rd century BC), famous statesman of Zhao 趙國|赵国
广雅 Guǎng yǎ earliest extant Chinese encyclopedia from Wei of the Three Kingdoms, 3rd century, modeled on Erya 爾雅|尔雅[Er3 ya3], 18150 entries
松花蛋 sōng huā dàn century egg / preserved egg
初叶 chū yè early part (of a decade, century etc) / the first years
肉蒲团 Ròu Pú tuán The Carnal Prayer Mat, Chinese erotic novel from 17th century, usually attributed to Li Yu 李漁|李渔[Li3 Yu3]
卜辞 bǔ cí oracle inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty (16th-11th century BC) on tortoiseshells or animal bones
西里尔 Xī lǐ ěr Cyril (name) / Saint Cyril, 9th century Christian missionary / Cyrillic
禹 Yǔ Yu the Great (c. 21st century BC), mythical leader who tamed the floods / surname Yu
舜 Shùn Shun (c. 23rd century BC), mythical sage and leader
杏林 xìng lín forest of apricot trees / (fig.) honorific term for fine doctor (cf Dr Dong Feng 董奉[Dong3 Feng4], 3rd century AD, asked his patients to plant apricot trees instead of paying fees)
白陶 bái táo white pottery (of Shang Dynastry 16-11th century BC)
大禹 Dà Yǔ Yu the Great (c. 21st century BC) mythical leader who tamed the floods
叙利亚文 Xù lì yà wén Syriac language (from c. 2nd century BC) / the Syriac script
广韵 Guǎng yùn Guangyun, Chinese rime dictionary 韻書|韵书[yun4 shu1] from 11th century, containing 26,194 single-character entries
吐谷浑 Tǔ yù hún Tuyuhun, nomadic people related to the Xianbei 鮮卑|鲜卑[Xian1 bei1] / a state in Qinghai in 4th-7th century AD
新罗 Xīn luó Silla, Korean kingdom 57 BC-935 AD / one of the Korean Three Kingdoms from 1st century AD, defeating its rivals Paikche 百濟|百济[Bai3 ji4] and Koguryo 高句麗|高句丽[Gao1 gou1 li2] around 660 in alliance with Tang China / unified Silla 658-935
张大千 Zhāng Dà qiān Chang Dai-chien or Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), one of the greatest Chinese artists of the 20th century
世纪末年 shì jì mò nián final years of the century
人间喜剧 rén jiān xǐ jù La Comédie humaine, series of novels by 19th century French novelist Honoré / de Balzac 巴爾扎克|巴尔扎克[Ba1 er3 zha1 ke4]
介之推 Jiè Zhī tuī Jie Zhitui (7th century BC), legendary selfless subject of Duke Wen of Jin 晉文公|晋文公[Jin4 Wen2 gong1], in whose honor the Qingming festival 清明[Qing1 ming2] (Pure brightness or tomb-sweeping festival) is said to have been initiated
傅说 Fù Shuō Fu Shuo (c. 14th century BC), legendary sage and principal minister of Shang ruler Wu Ding
元末 Yuán mò final years of Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) / mid 14th century
元末明初 Yuán mò Míng chū late Yuan and early Ming / mid 14th century
刁藩都 Diāo fān dōu Diophantus of Alexandria (3rd century AD), Greek mathematician
半个世纪 bàn ge shì jì half a century
南诏国 Nán zhào guó Nanzhao, 8th and 9th century kingdom in Yunnan, at times allied with Tang against Tibetan Tubo pressure
同文馆 Tóng wén guǎn Tongwen Guan, 19th century college that trained translators for China's diplomatic corps, established in Beijing in 1862 and absorbed by the Imperial University in 1902
吐蕃王朝 Tǔ bō Wáng cháo Tibetan Tubo Dynasty 7th-11th century AD
吞米桑布札 Tūn mǐ Sāng bù zhá Tunmi Sanghuzha (6th century AD), originator of the Tibetan script
商纣王 Shāng Zhòu wáng King Zhou of Shang (11th century BC), notorious as a cruel tyrant
喀拉汗国 Kā lā Hán guó Karakhan Dynasty of central Asia, 8th-10th century
喀拉汗王朝 Kā lā hán Wáng cháo Karakhan dynasty of central Asia, 8th-10th century
基辅罗斯 Jī fǔ Luó sī Kievan Rus', East Slavic state that reached its peak in the early to mid-11th century
大明历 Dà míng lì the 5th century Chinese calendar established by Zu Chongzhi 祖沖之|祖冲之
孔丛子 Kǒng cóng zǐ the K'ung family Masters' anthology, collection of dialogues between Confucius and his disciples, possibly forged in third century by Wang Su 王肅|王肃[Wang2 Su4]
尼雅 Ní yǎ Niya, ancient kingdom near Khotan in Xinjiang, 1st century BC-4th century AD
尾张国 Wěi zhāng guó Owari or Owari-no-kuni, Japanese fiefdom during 11th-15th century, current Aichi prefecture around Nagoya
帝辛 Dì Xīn Emperor Xin, last ruler of Shang (11th Century BC), famous as a tyrant
弗莱威厄斯 Fú lái wēi è sī Flavius (Roman historian of 1st century AD)
后半叶 hòu bàn yè latter half (of a decade, century etc)
提多 tí duō Titus (1st century AD), Christian missionary, disciple of St. Paul
摩诃婆罗多 Mó hē pó luó duō Mahābhārata, second great Indian epic after 羅摩衍那|罗摩衍那[Luo2 mo2 yan3 na4], possibly originally c. 4th century BC
新罗王朝 Xīn luó Wáng cháo Silla, Korean kingdom 57 BC-935 AD / one of the Korean Three Kingdoms from 1st century AD, defeating its rivals Paikche 百濟|百济[Bai3 ji4] and Koguryo 高句麗|高句丽[Gao1 gou1 li2] around 660 in alliance with Tang China / unified Silla 658-935
明末清初 Míng mò Qīng chū late Ming and early Qing / around the middle of the 17th century
昭披耶帕康 Zhāo pī yē pà kāng Chao Phya Phra Klang, 18th century Thai politician and writer
普鲁东主义 Pǔ lǔ dōng zhǔ yì Proudhonism, 19th century socialist theory
东观汉记 Dōng guān Hàn jì History of Later Han dynasty, internal palace record by many 1st and 2nd century authors, 143 scrolls
柳条边 liǔ tiáo biān Willow palisade across Liaoning, 17th century barrier
乐府诗集 Yuè fǔ Shī jí Collection of Yuefu Songs and Ballads, compiled in the 11th century by Guo Maoqian 郭茂倩[Guo1 Mao4 qian4]
橘录 jú lù classification of orange trees by 12th century Song dynasty botanist Han Yanzhi 韓彥直|韩彦直[Han2 Yan4 zhi2]
武丁 Wǔ Dīng Wu Ding (c. 14th century BC), legendary founder and wise ruler of Shang dynasty
毛遂 Máo Suì Mao Sui (third century BC), who proverbially offered his services to the King of Chu 楚, see 毛遂自薦|毛遂自荐[Mao2 Sui4 zi4 jian4]
漢末魏初 hàn mò wèi chū late Han and early Wei (roughly, first half of 3rd century AD)
乌鲁克恰提 Wū lǔ kè qià tí Wuqia county in Xinjiang / name of county in Xinjiang from early 20th century now called Wuqia 烏恰縣|乌恰县
乌鲁克恰提县 Wū lǔ kè qià tí xiàn Wuqia county in Xinjiang / name of county in Xinjiang from early 20th century now called Wuqia 烏恰縣|乌恰县
狄公案 Dí Gōng An4 Dee Gong An (or Judge Dee's) Cases, 18th century fantasy featuring Tang dynasty politician Di Renjie 狄仁傑|狄仁杰[Di2 Ren2 jie2] as master sleuth, translated by R.H. van Gulik as Three Murder Cases Solved by Judge Dee
真腊 Zhēn là Khmer kingdom of Kampuchea or Cambodia / Chinese term for Cambodia from 7th to 15th century
纣辛 Zhòu Xīn Zhou Xin (c. 11th century BC), last king of the Shang dynasty
羯族 Jié zú Jie people, a tribe of northern China around the 4th century
羯胡 Jié hú Jie people, a tribe of northern China around the 4th century
茶马古道 Chá mǎ gǔ dào old tea-horse road or southern Silk Road, dating back to 6th century, from Tibet and Sichuan through Yunnan and Southeast Asia, reaching to Bhutan, Sikkim, India and beyond
萨桑王朝 Sà sāng Wáng cháo Sassanid Empire of Persia (c. 2nd-7th century AD)
萨珊王朝 Sà shān Wáng cháo Sassanid Empire of Persia (c. 2nd-7th century AD)
Chinese Tones