Introduction: Why Literary Chinese Still Exists in Modern Chinese
One of the most fascinating features of advanced Chinese is the connection between modern Chinese and Classical Chinese (文言文, wén yán wén). Although Classical Chinese was the written language used in ancient China for thousands of years, many of its expressions continue to appear in modern newspapers, academic writing, official documents, literature, and serious discussions.
For HSK 7–9 students, understanding literary vocabulary is not only about reading ancient texts. It is also necessary for understanding modern Chinese at a high level.
A newspaper article may use words such as:
“促进” (cù jìn)- promote
“维持” (wéi chí)- maintain
“此外” (cǐ wài)- in addition
“因此” (yīn cǐ)- therefore
“然而” (rán ér)- however
These words often feel different from everyday conversation because they preserve the style of written Chinese.
For example:
Everyday Chinese:
“因为天气不好，所以比赛取消了。”
(yīn wèi tiān qì bù hǎo, suǒ yǐ bǐ sài qǔ xiāo le)
“Because the weather was bad, the competition was cancelled.”
More formal Chinese:
“由于天气原因，因此比赛被取消。”
(yóu yú tiān qì yuán yīn, yīn cǐ bǐ sài bèi qǔ xiāo)
“Due to weather conditions, therefore the competition was cancelled.”
The second sentence sounds more suitable for a written announcement.
The Historical Relationship Between Classical and Modern Chinese
For much of Chinese history, spoken language and written language developed differently.
Ancient scholars wrote using Classical Chinese, while ordinary people communicated through different spoken forms. This created a situation where written Chinese carried cultural authority and intellectual prestige.
Many expressions from Classical Chinese survived because they were concise and powerful.
For example:
“故” (gù)
In Classical Chinese, 故 means “reason” or “therefore.”
Modern Chinese still uses it in formal expressions:
“因此故” is rare in modern Chinese, but related expressions such as “缘故” (yuán gù) meaning “reason” remain common.
Another example:
“皆” (jiē)
Meaning “all” or “everyone.”
Modern Chinese usually uses:
“都” (dōu)
However, 皆 appears frequently in formal writing.
Example sentences:
- 参加会议的人员皆表示支持该计划。(cān jiā huì yì de rén yuán jiē biǎo shì zhī chí gāi jì huá)- All participants at the meeting expressed support for this plan.
- 这些问题并非人人皆知。(zhè xiē wèn tí bìng fēi rén rén jiē zhī)- These problems are not known by everyone.
Formal Connectors from Classical Chinese
Advanced Chinese writing depends heavily on connecting words. Many of these words come from older forms of Chinese.
A basic learner may know:
“但是” (dàn shì)- but
Advanced writing often uses:
“然而” (rán ér)- however
Example sentences:
- 这个观点看似合理，然而仍然存在一些问题。(zhè ge guān diǎn kàn sì hé lǐ, rán ér réng rán cún zài yì xiē wèn tí)- This viewpoint seems reasonable; however, some problems still exist.
- 经济发展迅速，但是社会问题也逐渐出现。(jīng jì fā zhǎn xùn sù, dàn shì shè huì wèn tí yě zhú jiàn chū xiàn)- Economic development is rapid, but social problems are also gradually appearing.
Other important formal connectors include:
“此外” (cǐ wài)- furthermore, in addition
“与此同时” (yǔ cǐ tóng shí)- at the same time
“由此” (yóu cǐ)- from this, therefore
“综上所述” (zōng shàng suǒ shù)- in summary
Example sentences:
- 此外，我们还需要考虑长期影响。(cǐ wài, wǒ men hái xū yào kǎo lǜ cháng qī yǐng xiǎng)- In addition, we also need to consider long-term effects.
- 由此可见，语言学习需要长期积累。(yóu cǐ kě jiàn, yǔ yán xué xí xū yào cháng qī jī lěi)- It can therefore be seen that language learning requires long-term accumulation.
Literary Words Frequently Used in News Writing
Chinese news writing uses many words that have a literary feeling.
For example:
“表示” (biǎo shì)- express, state
is commonly used instead of:
“说” (shuō)- say
Example:
Everyday:
“他说他同意。”
(tā shuō tā tóng yì)
“He said he agreed.”
Formal:
“他表示同意。”
(tā biǎo shì tóng yì)
“He expressed agreement.”
Another example:
“认为” (rèn wéi)- believe, consider
is more formal than:
“觉得” (jué de)- feel, think
Example sentences:
- 专家认为人工智能将改变未来社会。(zhuān jiā rèn wéi rén gōng zhì néng jiāng gǎi biàn wèi lái shè huì)- Experts believe artificial intelligence will change future society.
- 我觉得这个电影很好看。(wǒ jué de zhè ge diàn yǐng hěn hǎo kàn)- I think this movie is very good.
Words That Replace Everyday Verbs
One major challenge for advanced Chinese students is that formal writing often replaces simple verbs with more sophisticated expressions.
For example:
“看” (kàn)- look, see
Formal alternatives:
“观察” (guān chá)- observe
“审视” (shěn shì)- examine carefully
“考察” (kǎo chá)- investigate
Example sentences:
- 科学家正在观察动物的行为变化。(kē xué jiā zhèng zài guān chá dòng wù de xíng wéi biàn huà)- Scientists are observing changes in animal behavior.
- 研究人员对当地文化进行了深入考察。(yán jiū rén yuán duì dāng dì wén huà jìn xíng le shēn rù kǎo chá)- Researchers conducted an in-depth investigation of local culture.
Another example:
“用” (yòng)- use
Formal alternatives:
“利用” (lì yòng)- make use of
“采用” (cǎi yòng)- adopt
“运用” (yùn yòng)- apply
Example sentences:
- 公司采用新的管理方法提高效率。(gōng sī cǎi yòng xīn de guǎn lǐ fāng fǎ tí gāo xiào lǜ)- The company adopts new management methods to improve efficiency.
- 学生应该学会运用不同的学习方法。(xué shēng yīng gāi xué huì yùn yòng bù tóng de xué xí fāng fǎ)- Students should learn to apply different learning methods.
Literary Vocabulary in Chinese Literature
Chinese literature frequently uses words that carry historical and emotional meanings.
For example:
“故乡” (gù xiāng)- hometown
This word appears often in poetry and literature. It feels more emotional than:
“老家” (lǎo jiā)- hometown, old home
Example:
- 他多年以后终于回到了故乡。(tā duō nián yǐ hòu zhōng yú huí dào le gù xiāng)- After many years, he finally returned to his hometown.
Another important literary word:
“孤独” (gū dú)- loneliness
It appears in both daily and literary contexts.
Example:
- 夜晚的城市让他感到一种深深的孤独。(yè wǎn de chéng shì ràng tā gǎn dào yì zhǒng shēn shēn de gū dú)- The city at night made him feel a deep sense of loneliness.
A related literary expression:
“寂寞” (jì mò)
Although similar, it often carries stronger emotional feelings of emptiness.
Classical Expressions in Academic Chinese
Academic Chinese frequently uses fixed expressions inherited from traditional writing.
Examples include:
“基于” (jī yú)- based on
Example:
- 基于以上分析，我们提出以下观点。(jī yú yǐ shàng fēn xī, wǒ men tí chū yǐ xià guān diǎn)- Based on the above analysis, we propose the following viewpoints.
“关于” (guān yú)- regarding
Example:
- 关于中国历史的发展过程，学者进行了大量研究。(guān yú zhōng guó lì shǐ de fā zhǎn guò chéng, xué zhě jìn xíng le dà liàng yán jiū)- Scholars have conducted extensive research regarding the development of Chinese history.
“针对” (zhēn duì)- aimed at, directed toward
Example:
- 政府制定了针对老年人的新政策。(zhèng fǔ zhì dìng le zhēn duì lǎo nián rén de xīn zhèng cè)- The government created a new policy aimed at elderly people.
How to Recognize Literary Chinese in Modern Texts
Advanced students do not need to memorize every Classical Chinese expression. Instead, they should learn to recognize patterns.
Common signs of formal literary vocabulary include:
Words with fewer syllables:
故 (gù)
皆 (jiē)
亦 (yì)
乃 (nǎi)
若 (ruò)
Formal compound words:
促进 (cù jìn)
实现 (shí xiàn)
维护 (wéi hù)
体现 (tǐ xiàn)
These words often appear in serious writing.
For example:
- 文化传统体现了一个民族的价值观。(wén huà chuán tǒng tǐ xiàn le yí ge mín zú de jià zhí guān)- Cultural traditions reflect the values of a nation.
- 国家需要维护社会稳定。(guó jiā xū yào wéi hù shè huì wěn dìng)- A country needs to maintain social stability.
The Importance of Literary Vocabulary for HSK 7–9
HSK 7–9 is designed for advanced Chinese ability. At this level, vocabulary is no longer limited to daily communication.
Students must understand:
• Historical articles
• Social commentary
• Academic writing
• News reports
• Literary works
• Professional discussions
Literary vocabulary provides access to deeper meanings in Chinese.
A sentence such as:
“人生如梦。”
(rén shēng rú mèng)
“Life is like a dream.”
contains only four characters, but it carries thousands of years of Chinese philosophical thinking.
The ability to recognize literary expressions allows advanced students to understand not only words but also the cultural ideas behind them.
Vocabulary
- 文言文 (wén yán wén)- Classical Chinese
- 然而 (rán ér)- however
- 此外 (cǐ wài)- in addition
- 体现 (tǐ xiàn)- to reflect, embody
- 促进 (cù jìn)- to promote
- 采用 (cǎi yòng)- to adopt, use
- 维护 (wéi hù)- to maintain, safeguard
- 基于 (jī yú)- based on
