narrative opening; now it is said that
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesverb
narrative opening formula in traditional fiction; 'now it is said that...'
archaicUsed at the beginning of chapters or sections in classical Chinese novels (e.g., Ming/Qing dynasty novels) to introduce the narrative or return to the main storyline. Equivalent to 'Now it happened that...' or 'Speaking of...' in English literary contexts. Rarely used in modern spoken Chinese except for humorous or stylistic effect.
Qiě且
shuō说
nà那
yī一
nián年
，
tā他
chū初
dào到
jīng京
chéng城
，
rén人
shēng生
dì地
bù不
shú熟
。
Now it happened that in that year, when he first arrived in the capital, he found himself in unfamiliar surroundings.
Qiě且
shuō说
nà那
Sūn孙
Wù悟
kōng空
，
shén神
tōng通
guǎng广
dà大
，
yī一
gè个
jīn筋
dǒu斗
néng能
fān翻
shí十
wàn万
bā八
qiān千
lǐ里
。
Speaking of that Sun Wukong, his magical powers were immense—one somersault could carry him eighty-four thousand li.
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Qiě且
shuō说
zhè这
yī一
rì日
，
tiān天
qì气
qíng晴
lǎng朗
，
zhèng正
shì是
chū出
yóu游
de的
hǎo好
shí时
jié节
。
Now it happened that on this day, the weather was fine—truly the perfect season for an outing.