文
character; writing; article; liberal arts; gentle
Meanings
13 senses · 65 examplesnoun
ancient written characters
formalRefers to ancient writing systems like oracle bone inscriptions or bronze inscriptions.
Archaeologists studied this piece of oracle bone inscriptions.
Bronze inscriptions are ancient writing from the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
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Clear characters are inscribed on this newly unearthed cultural relic.
The museum exhibits multiple cultural relics with ancient characters.
Bronze script is another name for bronze vessel inscriptions.
noun
written character; script
neutralRefers to formal written language systems for specific languages.
Chinese characters are one of the oldest writing systems in the world.
English writing is an alphabetic script based on the Latin alphabet.
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He is learning simplified Chinese characters.
Korean is a writing system combining Chinese characters and phonetic letters.
French writing uses the Latin alphabet with diacritics.
noun
article; written work
neutralCan refer to any formal or informal written composition.
This prose article is very beautifully written.
Rhyming poems are easy to read aloud.
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The teacher asked us to write a narrative essay.
Practical writing is mostly used for business and daily office work.
This prose collection includes his recent written works.
noun
classical Chinese
formalUsed to describe speech that mixes classical and modern Chinese.
This speech uses a style mixing classical and modern Chinese.
Some elderly people like to write classical-style poems in mixed classical and modern Chinese.
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The annotations for this ancient book use a parallel classical and modern Chinese format.
There are many classical Chinese phrases in his composition.
There are big differences in grammar between modern Chinese and classical Chinese.
noun
civilization; culture
formalRefers to advanced social and cultural development.
Human civilization is the result of long-term development.
China has a cultural history of five thousand years.
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These cultural relics witness the prosperity of ancient civilizations.
The replacement of agricultural civilization by industrial civilization is historically inevitable.
Spiritual civilization construction is an important part of social development.
noun
liberal arts
informalUsed to refer to the liberal arts academic track in college.
He studies liberal arts in college, majoring in Chinese language and literature.
The college entrance exam subjects for liberal arts and science are different.
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She has always liked liberal arts subjects and is not good at science.
Many liberal arts graduates choose to become teachers.
When applying for college, choosing between liberal arts and science is very important.
noun
ritual; formal etiquette
archaicOften used in phrases referring to excessive or empty formalities.
There are many empty formalities at this wedding, making guests feel tired.
Modern society hates socializing with excessive formalities.
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Ancient officials had to follow many ritual rules when meeting each other.
He dislikes those overly formal polite remarks.
Some traditional rituals have been simplified nowadays.
adjective
civilian; non-military
neutralUsed to contrast with military or martial roles.
Ancient civilian officials and military officials had clear divisions of labor.
After leaving the military, he took up a civilian position.
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He is proficient in both military and civilian affairs.
This university's college of arts has over 5,000 students.
Civilian staff do not need to participate in military training.
adjective
gentle; mild; soft
neutralDescribes a gentle, refined manner or mild force.
She has a gentle temperament and never argues with others.
This child looks frail and gentle and needs more exercise.
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He always speaks in a refined way and is well-mannered.
The fire here is mild and easy to control.
His gentle, frail demeanor makes him look like a scholar.
noun
natural phenomenon
formalUsed in fixed phrases to describe natural patterns.
Astronomical phenomena include solar eclipses, lunar eclipses, and meteor showers.
The water ripples glinted in the sunlight.
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Today's astronomical forecast says there will be a total lunar eclipse.
The water ripples are very calm, suitable for boating.
Scientists are studying the changing patterns of astronomical phenomena.
verb
to tattoo; to brand
neutralAlso used to describe permanent body decoration.
He got an eagle tattooed on his arm.
Some tribes tattoo patterns on their faces as decoration.
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He has a pair of delicate patterns tattooed on his cheeks.
Many young people now get tattoos to express their personality.
In ancient times, some prisoners were branded with marks.
verb
to cover up; to gloss over
formalOften used in the fixed phrase 文过饰非.
When you make a mistake, you should correct it instead of covering it up.
He always tried to cover up his mistakes, and as a result lost the trust of his colleagues.
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Being honest about your mistakes earns more respect than covering them up.
Some politicians like to gloss over their improper behavior.
Don't cover up your mistakes; admitting and improving is the right choice.
measure word
used for old copper coins
archaicUsed in traditional contexts for counting copper coins.
He only had one copper coin on him.
The street vendor saved money penny by penny.
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He helped this poor old man without asking for any money.
In the past, a steamed bun only cost two or three copper coins.
He handed over dozens of copper coins he had saved for a long time to his mother.