classical particles; pedantic speech
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
the four common classical Chinese particles (zhi, hu, zhe, ye); used to describe pedantic or half-literary speech or writing
literaryOriginally refers to the four most common function words in classical Chinese. Often used critically to describe speech or writing that is artificially literary, pretentious, or unnecessarily complicated.
Tā他
shuō说
huà话
zǒng总
shì是
zhī之
hū乎
zhě者
yě也
,
ràng让
rén人
tīng听
bù不
dǒng懂
。
He always speaks in a pedantic, literary manner that nobody can understand.
Zhè这
piān篇
wén文
zhāng章
lǐ里
zhī之
hū乎
zhě者
yě也
yòng用
de得
tài太
duō多
,
xiǎn显
de得
hěn很
bù不
zì自
rán然
。
This article uses too much archaic jargon, making it seem very unnatural.
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Bié别
gēn跟
wǒ我
zhī之
hū乎
zhě者
yě也
de的
,
yǒu有
huà话
zhí直
shuō说
。
Don't beat around the bush with me; just say what you want to say.