East Asia Student

This is a translation and annotation of the poem 聽安萬善吹觱篥歌 (Tīng Ān Wànshàn Chuī Bìlì Gē), “Listening to An Wanshan Play a Bamboo Pipe Song”, by the Tang dynasty poet 李頎 (Lǐ Qí).

This is a translation and annotation of the poem 長相思·其一 (Cháng Xiāng Sī · Qí Yī), “Endless Mutual Longing, Pt. 1”, by the Tang dynasty poet 李白 (Lǐ Bái).

This is a translation and annotation of the poem 宿府 (Sù Fǔ), “Lodging at Headquarters”, by the Tang dynasty poet 杜甫 (Dù Fǔ).

This is a translation and annotation of the poem 送李少府貶峽中王少府貶長沙 (Sòng Lǐ Shàofǔ Biǎn Xiázhōng Wáng Shàofǔ Biǎn Chángshā), “Seeing off Deputy Prefect Li, Demoted to Xiazhong, and Deputy Prefect Wang, Demoted to Changsha”, by the Tang dynasty poet 高適 (Gāo Sh…

This is a translation and annotation of the poem 八月十五夜贈張功曹 (Bā Yuè Shíwǔ Yè Zèng Zhāng Gōngcáo), “Eighth Month Fifteenth Night, Presented to Merit Officer Zhang”, by the Tang dynasty poet 韓愈 (Hán Yù).

This is a translation and annotation of the poem 琴歌 (Qín Gē), “Zither Song”, by the Tang dynasty poet 李頎 (Lǐ Qí).

This is a translation and annotation of the poem 聽箏 (Tīng Zhēng), “Listening to the Zither”, by the Tang dynasty poet 李端 (Lǐ Duān).

This is a close translation and annotation of a text from 敦煌 (Dūnhuáng).

This is a rough translation and annotation of the poem 遊山西村 (Yóu Shān Xī Cūn), ‘Roaming in Mountain West Villages’, by the Song Dynasty Chinese poet 陸游 (Lù Yóu).

This is a rough translation and annotation of the poem 自問 (黑花滿眼絲滿頭) Zì Wèn (Hēi Huā Mǎn Yǎn Sī Mǎn Tóu), ‘Self Questioning’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet 白居易 (Bái Jūyì).

This is a rough translation and annotation of the poem 古風 桃花開東園 (Gǔfēng: Táohuā Kāi Dōng Yuán), ‘Peach Blossom Blooming in the East Garden’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet 李白 (Lǐ Bái).

This is a rough translation and annotation of the poem 焚書坑 (Fén Shū Kēng), ‘The Book Burning Pit’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet 章碣 (Zhāng Jié).

If you’re studying Japanese on Duolingo, you might find the Duolingo Japanese vocab lists on Fandom useful.

This is a literal translation and annotation of the poem 《董賊潛懷廢立圖》(Dǒng Zéi Qiánhuái Fèilì Tú, “The Traitor Dong Zhuo Secretly Harbours a Deposition Plan”) from 三國演義 (Sānguó Yǎnyì, Romance of the Three Kingdoms).

Amid the Covid-19 outbreak, a Japanese institution sent aid packages to China with messages of encouragement in modern Chinese (中国加油) and more interestingly in Classical Chinese.

This is a rough translation and annotation of the poem 春泛若耶溪 (Chūn Fàn Ruòyé Xī), ‘Spring Drifting on Ruoye Creek’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet 綦毋潛 (Qíwú Qián).

This is a rough translation and annotation of the poem 司馬將軍歌 (Sīmǎ Jiāngjūn Gē), ‘Sima General Song’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet 李白 (Lǐ Bái).

This is a rough translation and annotation of the poem 長沙過賈誼宅 (Chángshā Guò Jiǎyì Zhái), ‘In Changsha, Passing by Jia Yi’s Residence’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet 劉長卿 (Liú Chángqīng).

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 謁衡嶽廟遂宿嶽寺題門樓 (Yè Héngyuè Miào Suì Sù Yuè Sì Tí Ménlóu), ‘An Inscription on the Gatehouse after Paying Respects at the Mt Heng Shrine and Lodging at the Mountain Temple’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 早發白帝城 (Zǎo Fā Báidì Chéng), ‘Setting Off Early from Baidi City’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet 李白 (Lǐ Bái).

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 勞勞亭 (Láoláo Tíng), ‘Pavilion of Misery’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet 李白 (Lǐ Bái).

The song 《时间都去哪儿了》 has been popular recently in China, especially since it was performed by 王铮亮 (Wáng Zhēngliàng) on 春晚.

A reader sent me this “Chinese” text and asked if I could translate it, apparently having found this ancient post about free Chinese translation.

The publishers of ‘Tuttle Reading and Writing Chinese’ were kind enough to send me a copy to review, so I’ve written up my thoughts on the book here.

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 宮中行樂詞 一 (Gōngzhōng Xínglè Cí), ‘Lyrics for Wandering in the Palace I’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet 李白 (Lǐ Bái).

Here’s a list of my favourite Chinese learning tools that I’ve distilled over several years of learning Mandarin Chinese.

I got a question from a reader asking what ‘the main Chinese language’ is, and my first instinct was to just send an email back saying “Mandarin Chinese”.

What is the best Android Chinese input method?

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 遠別離 (Yuǎn Biélí), ‘Distant Parting’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet 李白 (Lǐ Bái).

This is a translation of the short story 尾巴 (‘Tail’) by the Chinese author 汪曾祺 (Wang Zengqi).

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 醉花陰 (Zuì Huā Yīn), ‘Drunk in Blossom Shade’, by the Song Dynasty Chinese poet 李清照 (Lǐ Qīngzhào).

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 苦熱行 (Kǔ Rè Xíng), ‘Ballad of Suffering from the Heat’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet 王維 (Wáng Wéi).

This is just a quick post to say many thanks to Kensio Software for providing custom Wordpress development and web development for East Asia Student.

As you might expect, I have a lot of content in CJK languages (Chinese, Japanese and Korean) here on this site.

How do you type Chinese quotation marks on a Mac?

How to get a Chinese name is a question that comes up constantly on China-related forums, sub-reddits etc.

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 酬虞部蘇員外過藍田別業不見留之作 (Chóu Yúbù Sū Tuánwài Guò Lántián Biéyè Bù Jiànliú Zhī Zuò), ‘Composed in Reply to Secretary Su of the Board of Concern, Who Passed By Lantian Residence But Did Not Stay’, by the…

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 送元二使安西 (Sòng Yuán Èr Shǐ Ānxī), ‘Seeing Off Yuan Er on His Mission to Anxi’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet 王維 (Wáng Wéi).

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 辛夷塢 (Xīnyí Wù), ‘Magnolia Wall’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet 王維 (Wáng Wéi).

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 欹湖 (Yī Hú), ‘Yi Lake’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet 王維 (Wáng Wéi).

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 欒家瀨 (Luán Jiā Lài), ‘Luan Family Rapids’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet 王維 (Wáng Wéi).

This is a literal, line-by-line translation and annotation of 孫子 兵法 始計: the section Laying Plans, from Sun Zi’s Art of War.

Chinese ebooks always seemed to me to be an excellent way to get more Chinese reading practice.

I got this email from a reader about studying an East Asian Language at university.

I got this question about how to improve your Chinese listening skills from a visitor to the site: I just came across your site while looking for the lyrics to Joanna Wang’s “3 for dinner” (三个人的晚餐).

Just a quick post on a Chinese time format for outputting the date and time in Chinese.

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 江雪 (Jiāng Xuě), ‘River Snow’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet 柳宗元 (Liǔ Zōngyuán).

This is a translation / annotation of the section 柏舟 (Bǎi Zhōu) - “Cypress Boat” - from the 詩經 (Shījīng) - the Classic of Poetry.

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 相思 (Xiāngsī), ‘Yearning’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet 王維 (Wáng Wéi).

This is a very rough translation and annotation of the poem 櫻花落盡階前月 (Yīnghuā Luòjǐn Jiēqián Yuè), ‘Cherry Blossom Completely Falls Before the Steps Under the Moon’, by 李煜 (Lǐ Yù) of the Southern Tang.