文言(宋)

Chinese (Classical)

Sinitic (Late Middle Chinese) · historical / hidden variety

FamilySinitic (Late Middle Chinese) SpeakersExtinct ScriptChinese characters CountriesSong Dynasty China (960-1279) Official inSong Dynasty Vitalityextinct ISO 639-3lzh

Song Dynasty Chinese (960-1279) is the literary register of Late Middle Chinese, reflecting the language's transition toward early Mandarin. The Northern Song capital was Bianjing (Kaifeng) and the Southern Song capital was Lin'an (Hangzhou). The period was foundational for Chinese intellectual history: Zhu Xi (1130-1200) systematized Neo-Confucianism (the Cheng-Zhu school) into a state ideology that endured until 1905, and Song innovations included woodblock and movable-type printing — yielding the first true mass-produced Chinese books — alongside ci poetry (Su Shi, Li Qingzhao), painting manuals, and encyclopedic compilations.

Where it is spoken

20 core words in Chinese (Classical)

Water

/ɕy˧˩˧/

Fire

/xwo˧˩˧/

Sun

/ʐi˥˩/

Moon

/ɥɛ˥˩/

Mother

/mu˧˩˧/

Father

/fu˥˩/

Eat

/ʂʐ˧˥/

Drink

/jin˧˩˧/

Love

/ai˥˩/

Heart

/ɕin˥/

Tree

/mu˥˩/

House

/u˥/

Dog

/kʰɥɛn˧˩˧/

Cat

/mau˧˥/

Hand

/ʂou˧˩˧/

Eye

/mu˥˩/

Hello

萬福

/wan˥˩fu˧˥/

Thank you

/ɕjɛ˥˩/

One

/i˥/

Good

/ʂan˥˩/

Sources

Words compared

Compared with related Sinitic (Late Middle Chinese) languages

Meaning Chinese (Classical)Tianjin MandarinChinese (Mandarin)Northeastern MandarinWuhan MandarinSichuan MandarinVietnamese Hán văn (Sino-reading)
Water /ɕy˧˩˧/ /ʂwei˨˩˧/ /ʂweɪ̯˧˩˧/ /ʂweɪ̯˧˩˧/ /suei˨˩˧/ /suei˨˩˧/ /tʰwi˧˩˧/
Fire /xwo˧˩˧/ /xwo˨˩˧/ /xwo˧˩˧/ /xwo˧˩˧/ /huo˨˩˧/ /xo˨˩˧/ /hwa˧˩˧/
Sun /ʐi˥˩/ 日头 /ʐʅ˥˩tʰoʊ˨˦/ 太阳 /tʰaɪ̯˥˩jɑŋ˧˥/ 太阳 /tʰaɪ̯˥˩jɑŋ˩/ 太阳 /tʰai˥˧iaŋ˨˩˧/ 太阳 /tʰai˥˩iaŋ˧˥/ /ɲət˨˩/
Moon /ɥɛ˥˩/ 月亮 /ɥɛ˥˩ljaŋ/ 月亮 /ɥɛ˥˩ljɑŋ/ 月亮 /ɥɛ˥˩ljɑŋ˩/ 月亮 /yɛ˨˩˧liaŋ/ 月亮 /ye˨˩liaŋ˥˩/ /ŋwiət˨˩/
Mother /mu˧˩˧/ /ma˩˩/ 妈妈 /ma˥ma/ 妈妈 /ma˥ma/ 妈妈 /ma˨˩˧ma/ 妈妈 /mama/ /məw˧˥/
Father /fu˥˩/ /pa˥˩/ 爸爸 /pa˥˩pa/ 爸爸 /pa˥˩pa/ 爸爸 /pa˨˩˧pa/ 爸爸 /papa/ /fu˨˩˨/
Eat /ʂʐ˧˥/ /tʂʰɨ˩˩/ /ʈʂʰɨ˥/ /ʈʂʰɨ˥/ /tʂʰʅ˥˥/ /tsʰɨ˧˥/ /tʰɨk˨˩/
Drink /jin˧˩˧/ /xɤ˩˩/ /xɤ˥/ /xɤ˥/ /xo˥˥/ /xo˧˥/ /əm˧˩˧/
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Word order compared

Compare with major world languages

Chinese (Classical)
試穿 客棧 對面 店鋪 看著其 套西裝
试穿 酒店 对面的 商店 看到的 那套西装
أنا أريد أن أجرب بدلة رأيتها في محل مقابل الفندق
I want to try on a suit I saw ‌in a shop across from the hotel
Ich möchte einen Anzug anprobieren den ich in einem Geschäft gegenüber vom Hotel gesehen habe
मैं होटल के सामने एक दुकान में देखा सूट को पहनकर देखना चाहता हूँ
私は ホテルの 向かいの お店 見た スーツを 試着 したいです
Я хочу примерить костюм который я увидел в магазине напротив отеля

Compare with closely-related languages

Chinese (Classical)
試穿 客棧 對面 店鋪 看著其 套西裝
試穿 酒店 對面 間鋪 入面 見到嘅 套西裝
客舍 對面 所見之
试穿 酒店 对面的 商店 看到的 那套西装
逆旅 對面 邸店 所見之

Han readings compared

Compared with related Sinitic (Late Middle Chinese) languages

Character Chinese (Classical)Chinese (Tang dynasty Classical)Hailu HakkaHuiyang HakkaMeixian HakkaTaiwanese HakkaHakka Chinese
ʔjit /ʔjit̚/ ʔjiɪt /ʔjiɪt̚/ yit /jit̚˥/ yit /jit̚˩/ yit /jit̚˩/ id5 /it̚˨/ yit /jit̚˨/
ɲi⁵¹ /ɲi˥˩/ ɲiɪ⁵¹ /ɲiɪ˥˩/ ngì /ŋi˧˧/ ngì /ŋi˥˧/ ngì /ŋi˥˧/ ngi4 /ŋi˥˥/ ngi /ŋi˥˥/
sam¹³ /sam˩˧/ sam¹²³ /sam˩˨˧/ sâm /sam˥˧/ sâm /sam˧˧/ sâm /sam˦˦/ sam1 /sam˨˦/ sâm /sam˦˦/
sz̩⁵¹ /sz̩˥˩/ siɪ⁵¹ /siɪ˥˩/ /si˩˩/ /si˥˧/ /sɿ˥˧/ si4 /si˥˥/ si /si˥˥/
ŋu²⁴ /ŋu˨˦/ ŋuo²¹⁴ /ŋuo˨˩˦/ ńg /ŋ̩˨˦/ ńg /ŋ̍˧˩/ ńg /ŋ̍˧˩/ ng3 /ŋ̩˧˩/ ńg /ŋ̩˧˩/
liuk /liuk̚/ liuɪk /liuɪk̚/ liu̍k /liuk̚˨/ liu̍k /liuk̚˥/ liu̍k /liuk̚˥/ liug6 /liuk̚˥/ liuk /liuk̚˥/
tsʰit /tsʰit̚/ tsʰiɪt /tsʰiɪt̚/ chhit /tsʰit̚˥/ chhit /tsʰit̚˩/ chhit /tsʰit̚˩/ cid5 /tsʰit̚˨/ chhit /tsʰit̚˨/
pat /pat̚/ pɛt /pɛt̚/ pat /pat̚˥/ pat /pat̚˩/ pat /pat̚˩/ bad5 /pat̚˨/ pat /pat̚˨/
kiw²⁴ /kiw˨˦/ kiuɪ²¹⁴ /kiuɪ˨˩˦/ kiú /kiu˨˦/ kiú /kiu˧˩/ kiú /kiu˧˩/ giu3 /kiu˧˩/ kiú /kiu˧˩/
ʑip /ʑip̚/ dʑip /dʑip̚/ shi̍p /ʃip̚˨/ si̍p /sip̚˥/ sṳ̍p /sɨp̚˥/ siib6 /sɨp̚˥/ sṳ̍p /sɨp̚˥/
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