Author: Baxtiyarov, U.Sh.

Annotation: It’s impossible to learn a language without touching on the culture of the people who speak it. But with Chinese, this goes far deeper. And Chinese idioms, proverbs and sayings are an integral part of what makes the language so fascinating. When we talk about Chinese idioms, we usually mean 成语 chéngyŭ, which translates as something like ‘formed words’. This is a collection of around 5,000 sayings, usually consisting of four (but sometimes five or more) characters. Here are just a few of the best known or most interesting traditional chengyu along with versions of their stories to help you understand the origin and meaning.

Keywords: formed words, 成语chéngyǔ, 熟语shúyǔ, 文言wényán phraseological units.

Pages in journal: 782 - 785