紅樓夢紅hóng — 1. red 2. popular 3. revolutionary 4. bonus (HSK 2)樓lóu — 1. house with more than 1 story 2. storied building 3. floor 4. classifier: 層 (céng), 座 (zuò), 棟 (dòng) (HSK 1)夢mèng — 1. dream (classifier: 場 (cháng)) 2. (bound form) to dream (HSK 4) · 红楼梦

What’s in it

紅樓夢 (Dream of the Red Chamber) is the longest and most celebrated of the great Qing-dynasty novels, a sprawling, densely populated account of the rise and slow ruin of the wealthy, aristocratic Jia family in Beijing, told across a hundred and twenty chapters and several hundred named characters. At its center is Jia Baoyu, an oddly sensitive heir born with a piece of jade in his mouth, and his intertwined relationships with his sickly, poetic cousin Lin Daiyu and the more practical, socially capable Xue Baochai — a love triangle that the novel treats with far more psychological nuance than the marriage-plot fiction that came before it. Around this core, the novel builds an extraordinarily detailed portrait of upper-class Qing domestic life: the running of a huge household, the composition of poetry at garden parties, the intrigues of servants and concubines, and the slow financial and political unraveling that eventually brings the family down.

The whole story is framed by a supernatural prologue in which a sentient stone, left over when the goddess Nüwa mended the sky, begs to be sent down into the human world to experience life — the novel we read being, notionally, the stone's own record of what it saw. That frame, blending Buddhist and Daoist ideas of illusion and impermanence with an unusually realistic, almost documentary attention to material life, is a large part of why the novel has sustained a whole field of scholarship, known as 'Redology,' devoted to its manuscript history and interpretation.

Literary forms

• Classic and Modern Chinese Novels

Key words 关键字

• 寶玉bǎo yù寶玉bǎo yù — precious jade · treasures
• 賈gǔ賈gǔ — merchant · to buy
• 薛xuē薛xuē — wormwood like grass (classical)
• 璉liǎn璉liǎn — sacrificial vessel used for grain offerings · also pr. (lián)
• 釵chāi釵chāi — hairpin
• 姨媽yí mā姨媽yí mā — (coll.) mother's sister · maternal aunt
• 襲xí襲xí — (bound form) to raid; to attack · (bound form) to continue the pattern; to perpetuate · (literary) classifier for suits of clothing or sets of bedding
• 鳳fèng鳳fèng — phoenix
• 玉yùHSK 4玉yù — jade (HSK 4)
• 丫頭yā touHSK 7-9丫頭yā tou — girl · servant girl · (used deprecatingly, but sometimes also as a term of endearment) (HSK 7-9)
• 邢Xíng邢Xíng — surname Xing · place name
• 姐jiěHSK 1姐jiě — older sister (HSK 1)
• 紈wán紈wán — (literary) fine white silk; delicate silk fabric
• 夫人fū renHSK 4夫人fū ren — lady · madam · Mrs. · classifier: 位 (wèi) (HSK 4)
• 湘Xiāng湘Xiāng — abbr. for Hunan 湖南 province in south central China · abbr. for Xiangjiang river in Hunan province
• 黛dài黛dài — umber-black dye for painting the eyebrow
• 雯wén雯wén — multicolored clouds
• 珍zhēn珍zhēn — precious thing · treasure · culinary delicacy · rare · valuable · to value highly
• 寶bǎoHSK 4寶bǎo — jewel · gem · treasure · precious (HSK 4)
• 鵑juān鵑juān — cuckoo
• 政zhèng政zhèng — political · politics · government
• 鴛鴦yuān yāng鴛鴦yuān yāng — (bird species of China) mandarin duck (Aix galericulata) · (fig.) affectionate couple; happily married couple
• 蓉róng蓉róng — paste made by mashing beans or seeds etc · used in 芙蓉 (fú róng), lotus
• 林黛玉Lín Dài yù林黛玉Lín Dài yù — Lin Daiyu, female character in The Dream of Red Mansions, cousin and thwarted lover of Jia Baoyu 賈寶玉

曹雪芹 Cao Xueqin

曹雪芹 Cao Xueqin (c. 1715–1763) wrote the novel's first eighty chapters drawing heavily on his own family's fall from imperial favor and the confiscation of its wealth, but died before finishing it; the remaining forty chapters are traditionally credited to a later editor, Gao E, who completed and prepared the novel for its first printed edition in 1791, decades after Cao's death. Whether Gao E was working from Cao's own draft materials or largely writing the ending himself remains disputed, but the combined text has stood for more than two centuries as one of the four classic novels of Chinese literature and the one most often ranked first among them.

Key vocabulary 词汇

• 一事無成一事無成yī shì wú chéng — (idiom) to have achieved nothing; to be a total failure; to get nowhere (HSK 7-9)
• 一体一体yī tǐ — an integral whole · all concerned · everybody (HSK 7-9)
• 一個巴掌拍不響一個巴掌拍不響yī ge bā zhǎng pāi bù xiǎng — lit. one palm alone cannot clap (proverb) · fig. it takes two persons to start a dispute · it takes two to tango · it's difficult to achieve anything without support
• 一個樣一個樣yī ge yàng — the same; of the same type
• 一准一准yī zhǔn — certainly
• 一去不回一去不回yī qù bù huí — gone forever
• 一塵不染一塵不染yī chén bù rǎn — (idiom) untainted by even a speck of dust; spotlessly clean; (of a person) honest; incorruptible
• 一夕一夕yī xī — overnight; instantly; very quickly
• 一字不提一字不提yī zì bù tí — to not mention a single word (about sth) (idiom)
• 一字不落一字不落yī zì bù là — see 一字不漏 (yī zì bù lòu)
• 一對兒一對兒yī duì r — a pair; a couple
• 一席之地一席之地yī xí zhī dì — (acknowledged) place · a role to play · niche
• 一席話一席話yī xí huà — the content of a conversation · words · remarks
• 一年半載一年半載yī nián bàn zǎi — about a year
• 一并一并yī bìng — to lump together; to treat along with all the others
• 一心一意一心一意yī xīn yī yì — concentrating one's thoughts and efforts · single-minded · bent on · intently (HSK 7-9)
• 一抿子一抿子yī mǐn zi — a little bit
• 一揮而就一揮而就yī huī ér jiù — to finish (a letter, a painting) at a stroke
• 一文不值一文不值yī wén bù zhí — worthless (idiom) · no use whatsoever
• 一族一族yī zú — social group · subculture · family · clan · see also 族 (zú)
• 一日三秋一日三秋yī rì sān qiū — a single day apart seems like three seasons (idiom)
• 一時半刻一時半刻yī shí bàn kè — (idiom) a short time; a little while
• 一時半晌一時半晌yī shí bàn shǎng — a short time · a little while
• 一朝一夕一朝一夕yī zhāo yī xī — lit. one morning and one evening (idiom) · fig. in a short period of time · overnight
• 一無所知一無所知yī wú suǒ zhī — (idiom) not knowing anything at all; completely ignorant (HSK 7-9)
• 一生一世一生一世yī shēng yī shì — a whole lifetime (idiom); all my life
• 一目十行一目十行yī mù shí háng — ten lines at a glance (idiom) · to read very rapidly
• 一秉虔誠一秉虔誠yī bǐng qián chéng — earnestly and sincerely (idiom); devoutly
• 一般見識一般見識yī bān jiàn shi — (idiom) to lower oneself to (sb's) level
• 一號一號yī hào — first day of the month · toilet · (slang) top (in a homosexual relationship)
• 一言不發一言不發yī yán bù fā — to not say a word (idiom) (HSK 7-9)
• 一語不發一語不發yī yǔ bù fā — to not say a word (idiom)
• 一路風塵一路風塵yī lù fēng chén — to live an exhausting journey
• 一長一短一長一短yī cháng yī duǎn — (idiom) talking endlessly; long-winded (HSK 7-9)
• 一面倒一面倒yī miàn dǎo — to be entirely on one side · one-sided · lopsided · partisan · overwhelmingly on one side
• 一頭熱一頭熱yī tóu rè — one-sided enthusiasm (abbr. for 剃頭挑子一頭熱 (tì tóu tiāo zi yī tóu rè))
• 一飲而盡一飲而盡yī yǐn ér jìn — to drain the cup in one gulp (idiom)
• 丁卯丁卯dīng mǎo — fourth year D4 of the 60 year cycle, e.g. 1987 or 2047
• 丁憂丁憂dīng yōu — (literary) to be in mourning after the death of a parent
• 七事七事qī shì — (archaic) the seven duties of a sovereign
• 七夕七夕Qī xī — double seven festival, evening of seventh of lunar seventh month · girls' festival · Chinese Valentine's day, when Cowherd and Weaving maid 牛郎織女 are allowed their annual meeting
• 七律七律qī lǜ — verse form consisting of 8 lines of 7 characters, with rhyme on alternate lines (abbr. for 七言律詩[qi1 yan2 lu : 4 shi1])
• 七言律詩七言律詩qī yán lǜ shī — verse form consisting of 8 lines of 7 characters, with rhyme on alternate lines
• 丈量丈量zhàng liáng — to measure · measurement
• 三不知三不知sān bù zhī — to know nothing about the beginning, the middle or the end · to know nothing at all
• 三世三世sān shì — the Third (of numbered kings)
• 三伏三伏sān fú — the three annual periods of hot weather, namely 初伏 (chū fú), 中伏 (zhōng fú) and 末伏 (mò fú), which run consecutively over a period from mid-July to late August
• 三姑六婆三姑六婆sān gū liù pó — women with disreputable or illegal professions (idiom)
• 三從四德三從四德sān cóng sì dé — Confucian moral injunctions for women, namely: obey in turn three men father, husband and son, plus the four virtues of morality 德 (dé), physical charm 容, propriety in speech 言 and efficiency in needlework 功
• 三更半夜三更半夜sān gēng bàn yè — (idiom) in the depth of the night; very late at night
• 三法司三法司sān fǎ sī — the three judicial chief ministries (in imperial China)
• 三番五次三番五次sān fān wǔ cì — over and over again (idiom) (HSK 7-9)
• 三言兩語三言兩語sān yán liǎng yǔ — in a few words (idiom); expressed succinctly
• 上了年紀上了年紀shàng le nián jì — to be getting on in years; to be of the older generation
• 上供上供shàng gòng — to make offerings (to gods or ancestors) · to offer gifts to superiors in order to win their favor
• 上分上分shàng fēn — (coll.) (gaming) to progress to the next level · to level up
• 上半夜上半夜shàng bàn yè — first half of the night (from nightfall to midnight)
• 上合上合Shàng Hé — SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) (abbr. for 上海合作組織 (Shàng hǎi Hé zuò Zǔ zhī))
• 上外上外Shàng Wài — abbr. for 上海外國語大學 (Shàng hǎi Wài guó yǔ Dà xué)
• 上夜上夜shàng yè — to be on night duty
• 上將上將shàng jiàng — general · admiral · air chief marshal
• 上年紀上年紀shàng nián jì — (of a person) to get old
• 上座上座shàng zuò — seat of honor (at a banquet, meeting etc) · (Buddhism) senior monk's seat or title
• 上旬上旬shàng xún — first third of a month (HSK 7-9)
• 上次上次shàng cì — last time (HSK 1)
• 上演上演shàng yǎn — to screen (a movie) · to stage (a play) · a screening · a staging (HSK 6)
• 上色上色shàng sè — top-quality · top-grade
• 上調上調shàng tiáo — to raise (prices) · to adjust upwards (HSK 7-9)
• 下体下体xià tǐ — the lower part of the body (usu. a euphemism for the genitals)
• 下作下作xià zuo — contemptible · disgusting
• 下凡下凡xià fán — (of immortals) to descend to the human world
• 下士下士xià shì — lowest-ranked noncommissioned officer (e.g. corporal in the army or petty officer, third class in the navy)
• 下家下家xià jiā — player whose turn comes next (in a game) · next one · my humble home
• 下葬下葬xià zàng — to bury · to inter
• 不一而足不一而足bù yī ér zú — by no means an isolated case · numerous
• 不中意不中意bù zhòng yì — not to one's liking
• 不二不二bù èr — the only (choice, way etc) · undivided (loyalty)
• 不亢不卑不亢不卑bù kàng bù bēi — neither haughty nor humble · neither overbearing nor servile · neither supercilious nor obsequious
• 不亦不亦bù yì — (literary) isn't it truly …?; how … it is!
• 不倫不類不倫不類bù lún bù lèi — out of place · inappropriate · incongruous
• 不值不值bù zhí — not worth (HSK 6)
• 不傷脾胃不傷脾胃bù shāng pí wèi — lit. doesn't hurt the spleen or the stomach · fig. something that is not critical
• 不克不克bù kè — cannot · to not be able (to) · to be unable to
• 不動搖不動搖bù dòng yáo — unmoved
• 不去理不去理bù qù lǐ — not to pay attention to · to leave sth as it is · to ignore
• 不可少不可少bù kě shǎo — indispensable; essential
• 不可挽回不可挽回bù kě wǎn huí — irreversible
• 不合時宜不合時宜bù hé shí yí — out of step with current thinking · outmoded · inappropriate for the occasion
• 不吉不吉bù jí — unlucky · inauspicious · ominous
• 不問青紅皂白不問青紅皂白bù wèn qīng hóng zào bái — not distinguishing red-green or black-white (idiom) · not to distinguish between right and wrong
• 不啻不啻bù chì — just as · no less than · like (sth momentous) · as good as · tantamount to
• 不妥協不妥協bù tuǒ xié — uncompromising
• 不平則鳴不平則鳴bù píng zé míng — where there is injustice, there will be an outcry · man will cry out against injustice
• 不幸之事不幸之事bù xìng zhī shì — mishap
• 不幸之幸不幸之幸bù xìng zhī xìng — a fortune in misfortune · a positive in the negative
• 不待說不待說bù dài shuō — needless to say; it goes without saying
• 不怎麼樣不怎麼樣bù zěn me yàng — not up to much · very indifferent · nothing great about it · nothing good to be said about it (HSK 6)
• 不惑不惑bù huò — without doubt · with full self-confidence · forty years of age
• 不成材不成材bù chéng cái — worthless · good-for-nothing
• 不揣冒昧不揣冒昧bù chuǎi mào mèi — to venture to · to presume to · to take the liberty of
• 不支不支bù zhī — to be unable to endure
• 不敢自專不敢自專bù gǎn zì zhuān — not daring to act for oneself (idiom)
• 不是冤家不聚頭不是冤家不聚頭bù shì yuān jiā bù jù tóu — destiny will make enemies meet (idiom) · (often said about lovers who have a disagreement)
• 不服水土不服水土bù fú shuǐ tǔ — (of a stranger) not accustomed to the climate of a new place · not acclimatized
• 不為過不為過bù wéi guò — not an exaggeration · not excessive · not wide of the mark
• 不爭氣不爭氣bù zhēng qì — to be disappointing · to fail to live up to expectations
• 不用找不用找bù yòng zhǎo — "keep the change" (restaurant expression)
• 不由自主不由自主bù yóu zì zhǔ — (idiom) can't help but; involuntarily (HSK 7-9)
• 不畏不畏bù wèi — unafraid · to defy
• 不當事不當事bù dāng shì — useless · regard as useless
• 不省人事不省人事bù xǐng rén shì — to lose consciousness · unconscious · in a coma
• 不知天高地厚不知天高地厚bù zhī tiān gāo dì hòu — not to know the immensity of heaven and earth · an exaggerated opinion of one's own abilities
• 不知就里不知就里bù zhī jiù lǐ — unaware of the inner workings · naive · unwitting
• 不知所之不知所之bù zhī suǒ zhī — whereabouts unknown
• 不知所以不知所以bù zhī suǒ yǐ — (idiom) to not know the reason · (idiom) to not know what to do
• 不知輕重不知輕重bù zhī qīng zhòng — lit. not knowing what's important (idiom); no appreciation of the gravity of things · naive · doesn't know who's who · no sense of priorities
• 不知進退不知進退bù zhī jìn tuì — not knowing when to come or leave (idiom); with no sense of propriety
• 不祥之兆不祥之兆bù xiáng zhī zhào — (idiom) bad omen
• 不移不移bù yí — steadfast · inalienable
• 不稂不莠不稂不莠bù láng bù yǒu — useless · worthless · good-for-nothing
• 不窮不窮bù qióng — endless · boundless · inexhaustible
• 不端不端bù duān — improper · dishonorable
• 不符不符bù fú — inconsistent · not in agreement with · not agree or tally with · not conform to
• 不經一事，不長一智不經一事，不長一智bù jīng yī shì , bù zhǎng yī zhì — lit. you can't gain knowledge without practical experience (idiom) · fig. wisdom only comes with experience
• 不經之談不經之談bù jīng zhī tán — absurd statement · cock-and-bull story
• 不羈不羈bù jī — unruly · uninhibited
• 不胜不胜bù shèng — cannot bear or stand · be unequal to · very · extremely
• 不舍不舍bù shě — reluctant to part with (sth or sb); unwilling to let go of
• 不落窠臼不落窠臼bù luò kē jiù — not follow the beaten track · have an original style
• 不见不见bù jiàn — not to see · not to meet · to have disappeared · to be missing (HSK 6)
• 不識時務不識時務bù shí shí wù — to show no understanding of the times (idiom); cannot adapt to current circumstances · not amenable to reason
• 不起眼不起眼bù qǐ yǎn — unremarkable · nothing out of the ordinary (HSK 7-9)
• 不軌不軌bù guǐ — errant
• 不輕饒不輕饒bù qīng ráo — not to forgive easily · not to let off · (You, He) won't get away with it!
• 不辭勞苦不辭勞苦bù cí láo kǔ — to spare no effort
• 不隨意不隨意bù suí yì — unconscious · involuntary
• 不雅不雅bù yǎ — graceless · vulgar · indecent
• 不顧前後不顧前後bù gù qián hòu — regardless of what's before or after (idiom); rushing blindly into sth
• 丑事丑事chǒu shì — scandal
• 丑陋丑陋chǒu lòu — ugly (HSK 7-9)
• 世仇世仇shì chóu — feud
• 世代世代shì dài — for many generations · generation · era · age (HSK 7-9)
• 世伯世伯shì bó — uncle (affectionate name for a friend older than one's father) · old friend
• 世務世務shì wù — worldly affairs
• 世家世家shì jiā — family influential for generations · aristocratic family
• 世態世態shì tài — the ways of the world · social behavior
• 世職世職shì zhí — hereditary office
• 世道世道shì dào — the ways of the world · the morals of the time
• 丘壑丘壑qiū hè — hills and valleys · remote, secluded area
• 丙寅丙寅bǐng yín — third year C3 of the 60 year cycle, e.g. 1986 or 2046