English–Classical Chinese Dictionary

Browse common English words and their Classical Chinese translations, with parts of speech and example sentences. Use this dictionary to look up everyday vocabulary or as a starting point for learning Classical Chinese.

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Browse common Classical Chinese vocabulary

Word	Part of speech	Translation	Example
I	pronoun	我	I am here now. 我今在此。
you	pronoun	汝	You know the way. 汝知其道。
he	pronoun	彼	He is my friend. 彼吾友也。
we	pronoun	我輩	We go together today. 我輩今日偕行。
they	pronoun	彼等	They come at night. 彼等夜來。
what	pronoun	何	What do you want? 汝欲何？
where	adverb	安	Where do they live? 彼等安居？
when	adverb	何時	When will you come? 汝何時來？
who	pronoun	誰	Who is at the door? 誰在門？
why	adverb	何故	Why do you laugh? 汝何故笑？
how	adverb	如何	How do we begin? 我輩如何始？
to be	verb	為	This is good. 此為善。
to have	verb	有	I have a book. 我有一書。
to do	verb	為	They do great work. 彼等為大功。
to go	verb	往	I go to school. 我往學。
to come	verb	來	They come tomorrow. 彼等明日來。
to see	verb	見	I see the moon. 我見月。
to know	verb	知	We know the truth. 我輩知其實。
to think	verb	思	I think about life. 我思生命。
to want	verb	欲	I want some water. 我欲水。
to need	verb	須	We need more time. 我輩須多時。
to make	verb	作	They make good bread. 彼等作善餅。
to take	verb	取	Take the book home. 取書歸。
to give	verb	與	Give me the rice. 與我飯。
to say	verb	曰	He says one word. 彼曰一言。
to tell	verb	告	Tell me the story. 告我其事。
to ask	verb	問	I ask one question. 我問一事。
to find	verb	得	They find the way. 彼等得其道。
to look	verb	視	Look at the sky. 視天。
to use	verb	用	We use this table. 我輩用此几。
to work	verb	作	They work every day. 彼等日日作。
to eat	verb	食	I eat rice daily. 我日食飯。
to drink	verb	飲	You drink cold water. 汝飲冷水。
to sleep	verb	寢	The child sleeps now. 子今寢。
to walk	verb	行	We walk to the city. 我輩行至城。
to run	verb	走	The boy runs fast. 男童走疾。
to read	verb	讀	She reads the book.
to write	verb	書	I write one letter. 我書一字。
to speak	verb	言	They speak with joy. 彼等欣然而言。
to listen	verb	聽	Listen to the music. 聽其樂。
to hear	verb	聞	I hear the wind. 我聞風。
to buy	verb	買	We buy fresh fruit. 我輩買新果。
to sell	verb	賣	They sell tea here. 彼等於此賣茶。
to pay	verb	償	I pay the money. 我償其金。
to help	verb	助	Friends help each other. 朋友相助。
to love	verb	愛	I love my family. 我愛吾家。
to live	verb	居	They live in the city. 彼等居於城。
to die	verb	死	All men die someday. 人皆有死。
to learn	verb	學	Children learn at school. 童子於學而學。
to teach	verb	教	Fathers teach their sons. 父教其子。
to open	verb	開	Open the door now. 今開門。
to close	verb	閉	Close the book gently. 徐閉書。
person	noun	人	That person is kind. 彼人仁。
man	noun	男子	The man walks home. 男子行歸。
woman	noun	女子	The woman drinks tea. 女子飲茶。
child	noun	子	The child is happy. 子喜。
boy	noun	男童	The boy reads well. 男童善讀。
girl	noun	女童	The girl sings softly.
family	noun	家	My family is large. 吾家大。
mother	noun	母	My mother is wise. 吾母智。
father	noun	父	His father teaches him. 其父教之。
friend	noun	友	A friend came today. 今日有友來。
house	noun	屋	The house is new. 屋新。
home	noun	家	I return home now. 我今歸家。
school	noun	學	The school is nearby. 學在近。
city	noun	城	This city is big. 此城大。
country	noun	國	The country seeks peace. 國求安。
world	noun	天下	The world changes quickly. 天下變速。
street	noun	街	The street is long. 街長。
room	noun	室	The room is empty. 室空。
time	noun	時	Time passes swiftly. 時逝疾。
day	noun	日	The day is hot. 日熱。
night	noun	夜	The night is quiet. 夜靜。
morning	noun	旦	Morning comes early. 旦早至。
evening	noun	夕	Evening is cool here. 夕於此涼。
week	noun	週
month	noun	月	One month passed quickly. 一月疾過。
year	noun	年	This year is hard. 今年艱。
today	adverb	今日	I work today. 我今日作。
tomorrow	adverb	明日	We leave tomorrow. 我輩明日往。
yesterday	adverb	昨日	He came yesterday. 彼昨日來。
now	adverb	今	Now we begin. 今我輩始。
sun	noun	日	The sun is high. 日高。
moon	noun	月	The moon is bright. 月明。
star	noun	星	One star shines above. 一星耀於上。
sky	noun	天	The sky is blue. 天蒼。
earth	noun	地	The earth is vast. 地廣。
fire	noun	火	The fire burns bright. 火明燃。
water	noun	水	The water is cold. 水冷。
rain	noun	雨	Rain falls all night. 雨竟夜而下。
wind	noun	風	The wind is strong. 風勁。
tree	noun	樹	The tree is tall. 樹高。
flower	noun	花	The flower is beautiful. 花美。
mountain	noun	山	The mountain is high. 山高。
river	noun	川	The river flows east. 川東流。
sea	noun	海	The sea is wide. 海廣。
food	noun	食	The food is good. 食善。
bread	noun	餅	This bread is warm. 此餅溫。
rice	noun	飯	The rice is ready. 飯已具。
meat	noun	肉	The meat is fresh. 肉鮮。
fish	noun	魚	The fish is cooked. 魚已熟。
egg	noun	卵	The egg is broken. 卵破矣。
milk	noun	乳	The child drinks milk. 子飲乳。
fruit	noun	果	We eat sweet fruit. 我輩食甘果。
tea	noun	茶	The tea is hot. 茶熱。
head	noun	首	His head is hurt. 其首傷。
eye	noun	目	Her eyes are bright.
ear	noun	耳	My ear hears well. 吾耳善聞。
mouth	noun	口	Open your mouth wide. 張汝口。
nose	noun	鼻	His nose is cold. 其鼻冷。
hand	noun	手	Wash your hands now. 今濯汝手。
foot	noun	足	My foot is sore. 吾足痛。
heart	noun	心	Her heart is calm.
name	noun	名	What is your name? 汝名何？
book	noun	書	This book is old. 此書舊。
word	noun	字	That word is clear. 彼字明。
language	noun	言	Language shapes thought. 言移思。
money	noun	錢	I have no money. 我無錢。
work	noun	功	The work is hard. 功艱。
love	noun	愛	Love brings great joy. 愛致大樂。
music	noun	樂	The music is beautiful. 樂美。
story	noun	事	The story is long. 事長。
way	noun	道	This way is easy. 此道易。
thing	noun	物	That thing is strange. 彼物異。
life	noun	生	Life is often hard. 生多艱。
door	noun	門	The door is open. 門開矣。
table	noun	几	The table is round.
chair	noun	椅
good	adjective	善	This book is good. 此書善。
bad	adjective	惡	That food is bad. 彼食惡。
big	adjective	大	The house is big. 屋大。
small	adjective	小	The room is small. 室小。
new	adjective	新	I bought a new book. 我買新書。
old	adjective	舊	This house is old. 此屋舊。
long	adjective	長	The road is long. 道長。
short	adjective	短	The story is short. 事短。
high	adjective	高	The mountain is high. 山高。
low	adjective	下	The table is low. 几下。
hot	adjective	熱	The tea is hot. 茶熱。
cold	adjective	冷	The water is cold. 水冷。
happy	adjective	樂	The child feels happy. 子樂。
sad	adjective	哀	She looks sad today.
beautiful	adjective	美	The flower is beautiful. 花美。
easy	adjective	易	This work is easy. 此功易。
hard	adjective	難	This lesson is hard.
fast	adjective	疾	The horse is fast.
slow	adjective	徐	The river is slow. 川流徐。
right	adjective	是	Your answer is right. 汝答是。
wrong	adjective	非	That word is wrong. 彼字非。
important	adjective	重	This matter is important. 此事重。
true	adjective	真	His words are true. 其言真。
full	adjective	滿	The cup is full.
empty	adjective	空	The room is empty. 室空。
young	adjective	幼	The child is young. 子幼。
strong	adjective	強	The man is strong. 男子強。
weak	adjective	弱	He is weak today. 彼今日弱。
red	adjective	赤	The flower is red. 花赤。
blue	adjective	青	The sky is blue. 天青。
green	adjective	青	The tree is green. 樹青。
yellow	adjective	黃	The leaf is yellow.
black	adjective	黑	The horse is black.
white	adjective	白	The moon is white. 月白。
yes	interjection	然	Yes, I know. 然，我知之。
no	interjection	否	No, I cannot. 否，我不能。
not	adverb	不	I do not know. 我不知。
and	conjunction	與	Tea and rice are ready. 茶與飯皆具。
or	conjunction	或	Tea or water is fine. 茶或水皆可。
but	conjunction	然	He is poor but happy. 彼貧然樂。
if	conjunction	若	If you come, I rejoice. 若汝來，我喜。
because	conjunction	以	I stay because it rains. 我留，以雨也。
with	preposition	與	I go with my friend. 我與吾友往。
without	preposition	無	He left without money. 彼無錢而去。
for	preposition	為	This gift is for you. 此物為汝。
from	preposition	自	I came from the city. 我自城來。
to	preposition	至	We go to school. 我輩往至學。