LEARNING CHINESE: A SHORT LIST OF ESSENTIAL ADDENDA

A friend, whose youth makes him subject to odd fancies -- he grew up in the age of video games, and consequently has trouble with depth and breadth -- has asked what the most important things are when learning Chinese. He wishes to study Mandarin so that he can go live in Mainland China for a few years and make lots of money.
An admirable ambition! To get rich is glorious!
He'll go far. And he will wear nice suits.
Oh fortunate bourgeois puppy!

He's already taking classes, but hopes that there is a shortcut. Mandarin Chinese is incredibly hard, he says, and nearly no one understands him when he speaks.



致富光榮
JI FU GWONG WING
[To get rich is glorious - Deng Xiao-ping]

The reason why he is unintelligible is largely due to him trying to say things which only hold together in a middle-class suburban American context. They don't compute in the Chinese world, at least not the way he expects them to.

Imagine talking cuisine to a Frenchman, when your entire culinary vocabulary consists of grilled hot dogs and chili-cheese fries.
Understandably, the poor frog will look at you funny.
What, he will think, is this running dog saying?
Are those even words in a human tongue?
Ce sont des canines réchauffés?
Et les copeaux garnis?
Ne calcule pas!
Mais non!

Obviously it's even worse when speaking to a Chinese person, and pretending to be at least half-way literate and educated in your own language, when all the concepts that you know, and every book you have ever read, are unlinked and without reference in Chinese.

At the very least, watch some movies from Hong Kong. These will start to impart a feel for the Chinese social environment. Yes, not the same as what a mainlander would know. But it is close enough that opacity will acquire translucence.

And read up.
A lot.


四書五經與其他
SEI SYU NG GING, YIU KEI TAA
[Four writings, five warps, etcetera]

Necessary reading material will include a few in-depth books written by anthropologists and serious China scholars. No need to study these in detail, though, as even a light browse-through will leave you with as many off-kilter impressions as an in-depth cramming of the material would.
The point is to place a range of data in your mind, which you will use as building blocks for further thought.


A background in Chinese history is also essential.
Start with summer, end with today.

From the Hsia dynasty (夏朝 xia chao / 'haa chiu') down to the present.

夏
The Xia dynasty (夏朝 xia chao, 'haa chiu') reigned from 2070 bce to 1600 bce. During this period, the country went from tribal warfare and mythic kings to a centrally organized state, with many of the elements that we now recognize as Chinese: a hierarchical administrative structure, state cults centered around charismatic ancestors, plus bronzes, imperial tombs, and an ideographic writing system.
Much remains unknown or unsubstantiated about this era.

商
Xia (夏 'summer') was succeeded by Shang (商朝 Shang chao / 'seung chiu'), whose name means 'commerce'. They are also called 殷 (yin / 'yan'), which means 'flourishing, abundant; serious; dark red'. From 1600 bce to 1046 bce. Many more bronzes, and the great expansion from the north to the Yangtze river zone. Standardized weights and measures, script reform, more state cults. Shang fell apart when the last kings of that dynasty gave themselves over to degenerate behaviours.
The excess of which is legendary.
And not to be emulated.

周
When the 'Martial King' (周武王 zhou wu wang / 'jau mou wong') of the state of Wu (吳國 wu guo / 'ng gwok') led his troops across the Yellow River (黄河 huang he / 'wong ho') and defeated the Shang army at the 'battle of the cattle fields' (牧野之戰 mu ye zi zhan / 'muk ye ji jin') in 1046 bce, Shang ended, and the great classic age began. The last king of Shang covered himself with jewels, and committed suicide by self-immolation at the Deer Terrace (鹿台 lu tai / 'luk toi').

[Note that Zhou (周 'jau'; circuit, circumference, epoch, complete) was not the original surname. Zhou Wu Wang's clan was Ji (姬 'gei'; concubine, feminine entertainer) and his personal nomen was Fa (發 'faat'; issue, emit). The Ji name commemorates an ancestor descended from a consort to a legendary king.]

Wu Wang ('martial king') installed his father (the 'Literary King', 周文王 zhou wen wang / 'jau man wong') as monarch over the Zhou empire.

The Zhou dynasty lasted till from 1046 bce till 256 bce. During that time central authority fragmented, feudal lords became monarchs, various smaller states which still claimed allegiance to the dynasty waged war and slaughtered each other's tax bases, and bronze casting reached an apex unparalleled. Philosophy and literature were greatly developed -- this is the period of the 'Hundred Schools of Thought' (諸子百家 zhu zi bai jai / 'jyu ji baak gaa') -- and theories of governance and social order which continue to influence Chinese (both the people and their language) to this very day were born.


偏偏之足跡
PIN-PIN JI JUK-JIK
[Wandering footprints]

At this point, you should take a minor side track and read up a bit on Chinese literature and philosophy. You've acquired a slight grounding in the web and woof, now emerging patterns must be recognized.

The fundament of all Chinese thinking can be found in the four books and five classics (四書五經與其他 si shu wu jing / 'sei syu ng ging'), which are the core texts of Confucianism (儒教 ru jiao / 'yiu gaau'). Indeed, there is vastly more than that. But without an awareness of the 'teachings of the scholars' (儒教 "scholarly teachings"), any understanding of what everyone spent the next two millennia interacting with, or reacting against, is nearly impossible. The bureaucrats upheld orthodoxy, the literati commented on it and reformulated it, often heretically, and the rebels, rioters, and brigands that populate the pages of Chinese history borrowed and bastardized its ideas, deliberately mis-understood much, and used it when advantageous.

All subsequent literature and administration utilizes the thought processes and concepts formed by the material.

Even the simplest daily conversation will reflect this basis.

Which is what, exactly? What is this material?


FOUR WRITINGS

These are the core texts: Great Learning (大學), the Doctrine of the Median (中庸), Analects (論語), and the lessons of Mencius ( 孟子). In order, simplistically put: a fairly succinct outline for Chinese political and moral thought, how to maintain a balanced and equitable social structure, philosophical and moral lectures by Confucius and his students, and Mencius' discussions with various rulers who sought his advice.

[Great Learning: 大學 da xue, 'daai hok'; big study. Doctrine of the Mean: 中庸 zhong yong, 'jung yung'; central ordinary. Analects: 論語 lun yu, 'luen yue'; discourse and speaking. Mencius: 孟子 meng zi, 'maang ji'; the eminent master (372 bce to 289 bce), a scholar from Zou (鄒 'jau').]

There are a number of excellent translations, with commentary, on these four books. It is worthwhile to read them, but at the very least gaining an overview is fairly essential.


FIVE BOUND VOLUMES

Poetry, Documents, Rites, Changes, plus the Historical Record of the State of Lu (魯國 'lou kwok') which is entitled 'Spring and Autumn'. In short: three hundred and five ancient songs, documents and addresses by Zhou rulers, court rituals and ceremonies, a strange divination system, and a narrative.

[Classic of Poetry: 詩經 shi jing, 'si ging'; verses volume. Book of Documents: 尚書 shang shu, 'seung syu'; common writing. Book of Rites: 禮記 li ji, 'lai gei'; ritual records. I Ching (Book of Changes): 易經 yi jing, 'yi ging'; change volume. Spring and Autumn Annals: 春秋 chun qiu, 'chuen chau'.]

Some translations are crap, others are better. Avoid anything which paints the I Ching as some great spiritual masterpiece; it is more or less on the same plane as tarot cards. Again, at the very least get an overview of all of these.

There are actually more works than just the classic list (four and five), and often the number cited is thirteen.

The additional books are: Rites of Zhou 周禮 ('jau lei'); Ceremonies 儀禮 ('yi lei'); Zuo's Annals 左傳 ('jor chuen'); Gong-Yang's Annals 公羊傳 ('gung yeung chuen'); Gu-Liang's Annals 穀梁傳 ('guk leung chuen'); the Erya 爾雅 ('yi ngaa'); and the Classic of Filial Piety 孝經 ('haau ging'). The last one mentioned is virtually unreadable, and never the less extremely important; its contents encapsulate the entire welt-anschauung.


Most of these books were written during the twilight years of Zhou, standardized and edited in the centuries since, and finally 'canonized' nearly a millennium later.
There would have been many more, except that the tyrant of Qin (秦始皇帝 qin shi huang ti / 'chuen chi wong dai') destroyed the libraries and killed the literati (焚書坑儒 fen shu keng ru / 'fan shyu hang yiu'; "burn documents, bury scholars").


There are several important words you absolutely must add to your vocabulary and include in your mental toolbox, these being the key characteristics that the gentleman embodies, and the lesser man lacks:

仁 rén, 'yan': humaneness.   義 yì, 'yi': righteousness.   禮 lǐ, 'lai': propriety.   智 zhì, 'ji': wisdom.   信 xìn, 'seun': trustworthiness.   廉 lián, 'lim': incorruptibility.   誠 chéng, 'sing': sincerity.   忠 zhōng, 'jung': loyalty.   孝 xiào, 'haau': filial piety.   節 jié, 'jit': integrity.   恥 chǐ, 'chi': shame.   恕 shù, 'shue': lenience.   慧 huì, 'wai'​: intelligence.   勇 yǒng, 'yung': valour.   溫 wēn, 'wan': mildness.   良 liáng, 'leung': goodness.   恭 gong, 'gung': reverence.   儉 jiǎn, 'gim': thrift.   讓 rang, 'yeung': modesty.    正 zhèng, 'jing':​ correct, proper.   道 dào​, 'dou': way, path, manner, direction.   德 dé, 'tak'​: virtue.  

Note: the accented transcription is the Mandarin pronunciation, the second transcription is Cantonese.


北有長城、南有靈渠。
THE ENTIRE SHEBANG
[The North has the long wall, the South has a marvelous canal.]

The succession of dynasties and reigns since the first emperor of Qin re-unified China (at that point bigger and better than ever before) and destroyed as much of the Zhou heritage as he could -- while building the Great Wall (長城 zhang cheng / 'cheung sing') and causing the death of millions of his subjects in that project -- are somewhat less important than Xia, Shang, and Zhou to your understanding.

Han Dynasty 漢 ('hon') 206 bce to 220 ce.   Three Kingdoms Period 三國 ('saam kwok') 220–265 ce.   Western Jin Dynasty 西晉 ('sei juen') 265–317 ce.   Eastern Jin Dynasty 東晉 ('tung juen') 317–420 ce.   Southern and Northern Dynasties, Nán Běi Cháo 南北朝 ('naam pak chiu') 386-589 ce.   Sui Dynasty 隋 ('cheui') 581–618 ce.   Tang Dynasty 唐 ('tong') 618–907 ce.   Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms 五代十國 ('ng toi sap kwok') 907–960 ce.   Northern Song Dynasty, Běi Sòng 北宋 ('paak sung') 960–1127 ce.   Southern Song Dynasty, Nán Sòng 南宋 ('naam sung') 1127–1279 ce.   Liao Dynasty 遼 ('liu') 907–1125 ce.   Jin Dynasty (Khitans) 金 ('gam') 1115–1234 ce.   Western Xia (heathenish barbarians) 西夏 ('sei haa') 1038–1227 ce.   Yuan Dynasty (Mongol psychopaths) 元 ('yuen') 1271–1368 ce.   Ming Dynasty 明 ('ming') 1368–1662 ce.   Qing Dynasty (Manchus) 清 ('ching') 1636–1911 ce.  


If, at this point, you are getting the idea that there is a lot of seemingly extraneous data to absorb, you are right; those who do not know the past cannot repeat it.

In fact, as you progress, you should be mentally composing more and more lists: the dynasties; the important rulers, the rebels, the scholars, the conniving politicians, the great and horrific battles that killed millions, the poets whose words are immortal, the artistic developments, the various historic capital cities, the centres of commerce and culture, the regions and provinces, the rivers that keep overflowing........

An endless catalogue.

Delve into the post-classical literature too.


分久必合、合久必分。
WHAT IS SEPERATED COMES TOGETHER, WHAT IS WHOLE WILL FALL APART。

The Water Margin (水滸傳 shui hu zhuan / 'seui wu chuen') concerns a band of outlaws who hid out in the moorlands surrounding Mount Liang (梁山 liang shan / 'leung saan'), in resistance to corrupt officials and defiance against a rotten social order, somewhat like Robin Hood and his men.

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三國演義 san guo yan yi / 'saam kwok yin yi') tells the tale of three great generals (Cao Cao 曹操 'chou chou'; Lui Bei 劉備 'lau bei'; and Sun Quan 孫權 'suen kuen') whose efforts at the fall of the Han regime (漢朝 han chao / 'hon chiu') ended up creating three regional dynasties (魏 wei / 'ngai'; 蜀漢 shu han / 'suk hon'; 東吳 dong wu / 'tung ng'), dividing China. Chinese ideas of chivalry, gallantry, heroism and grand strategems, are all found in these two books.

The young should NOT read the Water Margin, lest they go off the derech, and the old must abjure the Three Kingdoms, so that they aren't tempted to conspire.
少不讀水滸, 老不讀三國 'siu pat dok seui wu, lou pat dok saam gwok'.

The Scholars (儒林外史 ru lin wai shi / 'yiu lam ngo si') tells of several literati whose lives interconnect, lampooning some and holding others up as examples. Not really a roman à clef, but never the less drawn on the author's own social world. It is very entertaining in parts, and dangerous too, especially for the established order.


There are other books, which you will discover as you go along. Many of them are famous, and sources of set phrases, twists of thought, sayings, proverbs, and pithy quotes. Your command of Chinese depends on these.


詩
Don't overlook the poetry of the Tang era either.
It's marvelous stuff.
Evocative.


And above all, learn how to swear. Foulness is just as important as all the rest, and what you overhear is often not the printed word or the elegant saying, though quite as well expressed. All within the four seas cuss, the Chinese often more than most. It adds a lyric quality to their speech, and sharpens sarcasm, cynicism, irony, and despair.
Vitriol is the life blood of a language.





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