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

• 賈gǔ賈gǔ — merchant · to buy
• 璉liǎn璉liǎn — sacrificial vessel used for grain offerings · also pr. (lián)
• 釵chāi釵chāi — hairpin
• 薛xuē薛xuē — wormwood like grass (classical)
• 姐jiěHSK 1姐jiě — older sister (HSK 1)
• 玉yùHSK 4玉yù — jade (HSK 4)
• 黛dài黛dài — umber-black dye for painting the eyebrow
• 姥lǎo姥lǎo — grandma (maternal)
• 邢Xíng邢Xíng — surname Xing · place name
• 鳳fèng鳳fèng — phoenix
• 雯wén雯wén — multicolored clouds
• 蓉róng蓉róng — paste made by mashing beans or seeds etc · used in 芙蓉 (fú róng), lotus
• 鴛yuān鴛yuān — mandarin duck
• 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
• 鴦yāng鴦yāng — used in 鴛鴦 (yuān yāng)
• 嬤mó嬤mó — dialectal or obsolete equivalent of 媽 (mā) · Taiwan pr. (mā)
• 紈wán紈wán — (literary) fine white silk; delicate silk fabric
• 赶gǎnHSK 3赶gǎn — to overtake; to catch up with · to hurry; to rush · to try to catch (the bus etc) · to drive (cattle etc) forward; to drive (sb) away · to avail oneself of (an opportunity) · until; by (a certain time) (HSK 3)
• 奶nǎiHSK 1奶nǎi — breast · milk · to breastfeed (HSK 1)
• 湘Xiāng湘Xiāng — abbr. for Hunan 湖南 province in south central China · abbr. for Xiangjiang river in Hunan province
• 并bìngHSK 3并bìng — and · furthermore · also · together with · (not) at all · simultaneously · to combine · to join · to merge (HSK 3)
• 鵑juān鵑juān — cuckoo
• 芸yún芸yún — common rue (Ruta graveolens) · (used in old compounds relating to books because in former times rue was used to protect books from insect damage)
• 么má么má — exclamatory final particle

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

• 两两liǎng — two · both · some · a few · tael, unit of weight equal to 50 grams (modern) or 1⁄16 of a catty 斤 (jīn) (old) (HSK 1)
• 个个gě — used in 自個兒 (zì gě r) (HSK 1)
• 仄仄zè — to tilt · narrow · uneasy · oblique tones (in Chinese poetry)
• 仕仕shì — to serve as an official · an official · the two chess pieces in Chinese chess guarding the "general" or "king" 將 (jiàng)
• 佣佣yòng — commission (for middleman) · brokerage fee
• 佻佻tiāo — frivolous · unsteady · delay
• 侃侃kǎn — upright and honest · cheerful · to chat idly · to boast · to talk smoothly
• 侑侑yòu — (literary) to urge sb (to eat or drink)
• 俑俑yǒng — wooden figures buried with the dead
• 俾俾bǐ — to cause · to enable · phonetic bi · Taiwan pr. (bì)
• 倔倔jué — used in 倔強 (jué jiàng) (HSK 7-9)
• 倕
• 偺偺zán — variant of 咱 (zán) (HSK 2)
• 儕儕chái — a class · a company · companion
• 党党dǎng — party · association · club · society · classifier: 個 (gè) (HSK 6)
• 冢冢zhǒng — mound · burial mound · senior (i.e. eldest child or senior in rank)
• 冶冶yě — to smelt · to cast · seductive in appearance
• 凖
• 劾劾hé — to impeach
• 勖勖xù — exhort · stimulate
• 㔩
• 匵匵dú — old variant of 櫝 (dú)
• 卍卍wàn — swastika, a sacred and auspicious symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism
• 厂厂hǎn — "cliff" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 27), occurring in 原, 历, 压 etc (HSK 3)
• 厘厘lí — one hundredth · centi-
• 厝厝cuò — to lay in place · to put · to place a coffin in a temporary location pending burial
• 叙叙xù — to narrate · to chat
• 呶呶náo — clamor · (onom.) "look!"
• 咈咈fú — oppose
• 咭咭jī — variant of 嘰 (jī)
• 哎哎āi — hey! · (interjection used to attract attention or to express surprise or disapprobation) (HSK 7-9)
• 哧哧chī — (onom.) giggling · breathing · tearing of paper, ripping of fabric etc
• 唚唚qìn — to vomit (of dogs and cats) · to rail against · to talk nonsense
• 唪唪fěng — recite · chant
• 唰唰shuā — (onom.) swishing · rustling
• 喑喑yīn — mute
• 喻喻yù — to describe sth as · an analogy · a simile · a metaphor · an allegory
• 嗆嗆qiāng — to choke (because of swallowing the wrong way) (HSK 7-9)
• 噗噗pū — (onom.) pop · plop · pfff · putt-putt of a motor
• 嚐嚐cháng — to taste; to experience (variant of 嘗 (cháng)) (HSK 5)
• 嚲嚲duǒ — hang down
• 囟囟xìn — fontanel (gap between the bones of an infant's skull)
• 囹囹líng — used in 囹圄 (líng yǔ)
• 圄圄yǔ — prison · to imprison
• 圣圣kū — (literary) to dig with persistent effort (e.g. to gather wild vegetables)
• 坍坍tān — to collapse
• 坷坷kē — used in 坷垃 (kē lā)
• 垤垤dié — anthill · mound
• 埂埂gěng — strip of high ground · low earth dyke separating fields
• 埭埭dài — dam
• 塒塒shí — hen roost
• 塢塢wù — (bound form) low area within a surrounding barrier · (literary) small castle; fort
• 塹塹qiàn — (bound form) moat; chasm
• 墅墅shù — villa
• 墾墾kěn — to reclaim (land) · to cultivate
• 壟壟lǒng — ridge between fields · crop row; mounded soil forming a ridge in a field · grave mound
• 夔夔Kuí — one-legged mountain demon of Chinese mythology · Chinese mythical figure who invented music and dancing · Chinese rain god · surname Kui
• 夸夸kuā — used in transliteration (HSK 7-9)
• 奄奄yǎn — suddenly · abruptly · hastily · to cover · to surround
• 奼奼chà — (literary) beautiful
• 妞妞niū — girl
• 妤妤yú — used in 婕妤 (jié yú)
• 姝姝shū — pretty woman
• 姽姽guǐ — quiet and nice
• 娣娣dì — wife of a younger brother
• 婕婕jié — used in 婕妤 (jié yú)
• 婺婺wù — beautiful
• 媖媖yīng — (complimentary name for a woman)
• 媛媛yuán — used in 嬋媛 (chán yuán)
• 媼媼ǎo — old woman
• 嫋嫋niǎo — delicate · graceful
• 嫠嫠lí — (bound form) widow
• 嫻嫻xián — elegant · refined · to be skilled at
• 嫿嫿huà — tranquil
• 嬋嬋chán — used in 嬋娟 (chán juān) and 嬋媛 (chán yuán)
• 嬗嬗shàn — (literary) to go through successive changes; to evolve
• 嬙嬙qiáng — female court officials
• 嬡嬡ài — used in 令嬡 (lìng ài)
• 嬤嬤mó — dialectal or obsolete equivalent of 媽 (mā) · Taiwan pr. (mā)
• 孌孌luán — beautiful
• 宁宁níng — peaceful · to pacify · to visit (one's parents etc)
• 宓宓mì — still · silent
• 宸宸chén — imperial apartments
• 寤寤wù — to awake from sleep
• 屄屄bī — cunt (vulgar)
• 屐屐jī — clogs
• 屭屭xì — used in 贔屭 (bì xì)
• 岫岫xiù — cave · mountain peak
• 岭岭líng — used in 岭巆 (líng yíng)
• 嵩嵩sōng — (literary) (of mountains) lofty
• 嵬嵬wéi — rocky
• 嶂嶂zhàng — cliff · range of peaks
• 嶒嶒céng — lofty · precipitous
• 帑帑tǎng — state treasury · public funds
• 幗幗guó — cap worn by women · feminine
• 幙幙mù — old variant of 幕 (mù) · curtain · screen (HSK 7-9)
• 幛幛zhàng — hanging scroll
• 幪幪méng — used in 帡幪 (píng méng)
• 幺幺yāo — youngest · most junior · tiny · one (unambiguous spoken form when spelling out numbers, esp. on telephone or in military) · one or ace on dice or dominoes · variant of 吆 (yāo), to shout
• 庾庾Yǔ — surname Yu · name of a mountain
• 弋弋yì — to shoot
• 张张zhāng — to open up · to spread · sheet of paper · classifier for flat objects, sheet · classifier for votes (HSK 3)
• 录录lù — to carve wood (HSK 3)
• 彝彝yí — (archaic) wine vessel · (archaic) sacrificial vessel · (literary) rule; convention
• 彭彭Péng — surname Peng
• 徇徇xùn — to give in to · to be swayed by (personal considerations etc) · Taiwan pr. (xún) · to follow · to expose publicly · variant of 侚 (xùn) · variant of 殉 (xùn)
• 忏忏chàn — (bound form) to feel remorse · (bound form) scripture read to atone for sb's sins (from Sanskrit "ksama")
• 忳
• 恬恬tián — quiet · calm · tranquil · peaceful
• 惆惆chóu — forlorn · vexed · disappointed
• 惕惕tì — fearful · respectful
• 惙惙chuò — mournful · uncertain
• 惛惛hūn — confused · forgetful · silly
• 愍愍mǐn — variant of 憫 (mǐn)
• 愜愜qiè — (literary) satisfied; content
• 愨愨què — honest
• 愷愷kǎi — joyful · kind
• 慍慍yùn — indignant · feel hurt
• 慟慟tòng — grief
• 慪慪òu — to annoy · to irritate · to be annoyed · to sulk
• 慫慫sǒng — used in 慫恿 (sǒng yǒng) · (literary) terrified
• 憋憋biē — to choke · to stifle · to restrain · to hold back · to hold in (urine) · to hold (one's breath) (HSK 7-9)
• 憒憒kuì — confused · troubled
• 憨憨hān — silly · simple-minded · foolish · naive · sturdy · tough · heavy (of rope)
• 憾憾hàn — regret (sense of loss or dissatisfaction)
• 懨懨yān — used in 懨懨 (yān yān)
• 懾懾shè — (bound form) to fear; to be cowed · (bound form) to frighten; to intimidate · Taiwan pr. (zhé)
• 戍戍shù — garrison
• 戎戎róng — generic term for weapons (old) · army (matters) · military affairs
• 戥戥děng — small steelyard for weighing money
• 戾戾lì — to bend · to violate · to go against · ruthless and tyrannical
• 扰扰rǎo — to disturb
• 抔抔póu — take up in both hands
• 捫捫mén — lay hands on · to cover
• 掊掊póu — take up in both hands
• 掖掖yē — to tuck (into a pocket) · to hide · to conceal
• 掰掰bāi — to break off or break open sth with one's hands · (fig.) to break off (a relationship) (HSK 7-9)
• 搐搐chù — to twitch; to have a spasm
• 搛搛jiān — to pick up with chopsticks
• 搦搦nuò — (literary) to hold (in the hand) · to challenge · to provoke
• 搳搳huá — used in 搳拳 (huá quán)
• 携携xié — to carry · to take along · to bring along · to hold (hands) · also pr. (xī)
• 摹摹mó — (bound form) to imitate · to copy
• 摻摻chān — to mix; to blend; to dilute; to adulterate (HSK 7-9)
• 撂撂liào — to put down · to leave behind · to throw or knock down · to abandon or discard
• 撣撣dǎn — to brush away · to dust off · brush · duster · classifier: 把 (bǎ)
• 擉擉chuò — to pierce · to break through
• 擿擿tī — to select · to nitpick · to expose
• 攆攆niǎn — to expel · to oust · (dialect) to chase after · to try to catch up with
• 攦