Classical Chinese

Name: Classical Chinese
ISBN: 9787301149751

全国高等教育自学考试指导委员会 / 王宁Peking University Press · ChinaAug 2025

4.2

Word count: 244K words
Chapters: 158
ISBN: 9787301149751

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Summary

The Ancient Chinese course is a required basic and tool course for the Chinese and History departments. This textbook is divided into six units and twenty-six lessons. Its main contents include: knowledge of ancient Chinese characters, phonology, vocabulary, and grammar; basic knowledge of xungu (exegesis) and textual scholarship; and ancient Chinese culture and folklore.

Editor's review

This textbook, organized by the National Steering Committee for Higher Education Self-Study Examinations and led by Professor Wang Ning, is the designated book for the Ancient Chinese course in the self-study examination and is a new 2025 edition. The book is divided into six units and twenty-six lessons, combining the four areas of language knowledge—characters, phonology, vocabulary, and grammar—with basic knowledge of xungu and textual scholarship as well as ancient culture and folklore, balancing language-tool training with cultural background. As a tool-course textbook, its greatest value lies in its clear explanations and well-defined structure, which make it easy for readers starting from zero to build knowledge step by step; each lesson is built around selected texts, linking language phenomena with textual examples, and it suits slow reading with note-taking and repeated review. One caveat: the textbook is positioned for course study and exam preparation rather than as an academic monograph, so theoretical depth and specialized discussion are limited; readers seeking deeper scholarly analysis should supplement it with monographs. Overall, this is a solid, standard, and suitable basic reader for systematically entering the study of Ancient Chinese.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Candidates taking the Ancient Chinese self-study examination who need systematic review according to the syllabus
Lower-division students in Chinese and History departments using it as a course textbook
Self-learners who want to systematically build foundations in ancient Chinese characters, vocabulary, and grammar
Secondary-school Chinese teachers seeking to strengthen the linguistic foundations of their classical Chinese teaching

Not a good fit for

Researchers who already have a solid foundation in classical Chinese and seek cutting-edge academic discussion
Readers who want only light, entertaining material and are unwilling to do exercises or memorization
Readers who expect mainly literary appreciation and are not interested in a language-knowledge system

Reading tips

Proceed unit by unit; for each lesson, read the selected text through first, then go back and annotate against the grammar and vocabulary explanations.
Keep a notebook of errors and new words, grouping scattered knowledge points such as xungu, textual-scholarship basics, and interchangeable characters.
After finishing a unit, close the book and restate that unit's knowledge framework to test mastery before moving on.
Use past exam questions or end-of-lesson exercises to expose weak points, then return to the relevant textbook chapters for further reading.

About the publisher

Peking University Press China · Founded in 1979

Peking University Press is a comprehensive university press whose publishing areas cover classical literature, popular science, social culture, world history, Western philosophy, and culture. Its catalogue contains 6,031 titles, with representative books including A Dream of Red Mansions, Relativity: The Special and General Theory (15th Edition) (with Einstein's classic papers on unified field theory and other topics), Elements, Conics, The Aristocratic Families of the Eastern Jin, The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume I), The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume II), and The Origin of Continents and Oceans. Representative authors include Cao Xueqin, Zhou Ruchang, Albert Einstein, Euclid, Apollonius, Tian Yuqing, Schelling, and Xian Gang. The press has developed distinctive strengths in classical Chinese literature and in the translation of Western philosophical classics, while also covering scientific classics and social and cultural studies. As public information is limited, this description is based only on the books in the catalogue and offers no further extrapolation.

版权信息
组编前言
致读者
緒論
一、什麽是古代漢語
二、古代漢語課程的性質任務和基本內容
三、學習古代漢語的目的和意義
四、古代漢語的學習方法
思考与练习
第一單元
第一課漢字的結構與演變
一、漢字的性質
二、漢字的結構
三、漢字形體的演變
文選
思考与练习
第二課漢字的結構與詞義的探索
一、漢字形義統一的條件
二、漢字的結構與詞義的探求
三、從漢字的結構探求詞義的重要參考書——《説文解字》
文選
思考与练习
第三課古書的用字
一、通假字
二、異體字
三、分化字
文選
思考与练习
第二單元
第四課古代漢語詞的構成
一、單音詞
二、複合詞
三、聯綿詞
文選
思考与练习
第五課古今詞義的差異與溝通
一、古今詞義的差異
二、古今詞義的溝通
文選
思考与练习
第六課多義詞和詞義引申
一、古代漢語中詞的多義性
二、詞義運動的基本方式——引申
文選
思考与练习
第七課詞義關係
一、同義詞
二、反義詞
文選
思考与练习
第三單元
第八課古代漢語詞類的劃分
一、劃分詞類的標準
二、實詞的分類
三、實詞的活用與兼類
四、虚詞的分類
文選
思考与练习
第九課動詞、形容詞、名詞
一、動詞
二、形容詞
三、名詞
文選
思考与练习
第十課數詞及數量表示法
一、數詞
二、數量表示法
文選
思考与练习
第十一課副詞
一、程度副詞
二、範圍副詞
三、時間副詞
四、情態副詞
五、否定副詞
六、謙敬副詞
文選
思考与练习
第十二課代詞
一、人稱代詞
二、指示代詞
三、疑問代詞
四、特殊代詞
五、無定代詞
文選
思考与练习
第四單元
第十三課介詞
一、介詞的定義及特點
二、古代漢語常用介詞介紹
文選
思考与练习
第十四課連詞
一、連詞的定義及特點
二、古代漢語常用連詞介紹
文選
思考与练习
第十五課語氣詞
一、句尾語氣詞
二、句首句中語氣詞
文選
思考与练习
第五單元
第十六課判斷句
一、古代漢語判斷句的構成和基本格式
二、古代漢語判斷句的繫詞問題
三、古代漢語判斷句的表達功能
文選
思考与练习
第十七課被動句和被動表示法
一、無形式標誌的被動句
二、有形式標誌的被動句式
文選
思考与练习
第十八課語序和省略
一、古代漢語的語序
二、古代漢語句法成分的省略
文選
思考与练习
第六單元
第十九課古代文獻的閲讀
一、中國古代文獻的分類
二、古書的標點
三、古代的注釋
四、古文閲讀工具書
文選
思考与练习
第二十課古書的特殊表達方式
一、婉曲
二、互文
三、變文
四、連類而及
五、用典
文選
思考与练习
第二十一課古代文化常識
一、古代的祭祀文化
二、古代的軍事文化
三、古代的生活習俗
四、古代的名號稱謂
五、古代的天文知識
六、古代的曆法知識
七、古代的地理知識
八、古代的職官科舉制度
文選
思考与练习
后记
古代汉语自学考试大纲
古代汉语自学考试大纲前言
I 课程性质与设置目的
II 课程内容与考核目标
壹基础知识及其应用
贰古文阅读
III 指定教材与参考书
IV 本大纲使用说明
附录一背诵段落
附录二本课程考试参考样卷
后记

FAQ

Can I read this textbook directly without any foundation in classical Chinese?

Yes. The textbook starts from the basics of characters, phonology, vocabulary, and grammar and is arranged progressively in six units and twenty-six lessons; it is designed for course study from zero. It is advisable to read strictly in order without skipping; for unfamiliar characters and words in the selected texts, first understand them through the annotations, then review the knowledge explanations, and consolidate with exercises. The introductory stage will not be too difficult.

Is this book only suitable for self-study examination candidates?

No. Although it is a textbook for the self-study examination course, its content covers the core language knowledge of ancient Chinese and basic xungu and textual-scholarship knowledge. Lower-division students in Chinese and History departments at regular universities, self-learners who want to systematically build foundations, and secondary-school Chinese teachers can all use it as an introductory textbook; they need not confine themselves to the examination scope.

Does the book devote a large proportion to culture and folklore?

The main content remains knowledge of characters, phonology, vocabulary, and grammar, along with basic knowledge of xungu and textual scholarship. Ancient culture and folklore are supplementary material set to support language learning and understanding of the selected texts, not the main body of the book. When reading, focus on the language-knowledge system; treat the culture and folklore sections as background material to be understood alongside the texts.

How should I plan my reading pace?

The book has twenty-six lessons in six units; you can proceed at two to three lessons per week, leaving time after each lesson's selected text and knowledge explanations for exercises and note organization, and doing a review and restatement at the end of each unit. Total time depends on your foundation; those with weaker foundations can slow down, making sure each knowledge point is tested through practice rather than rushing to finish.

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About the author

全国高等教育自学考试指导委员会 Author

The National Steering Committee for Higher Education Self-Taught Examinations is a specialized body responsible for work related to higher education self-taught examinations, and the works published under its name are generally compiled to meet the study and examination-preparation needs of self-taught learners. Two of its works are included here: Ancient Chinese and Aesthetics (2019 Edition), which fall under categories such as history readings and social culture. These textbooks balance the completeness of the knowledge system with the actual pace of self-study, and their language is clear and well organized, making it easier for readers to understand and grasp key points independently without classroom instruction. Because public information is limited, the committee's specific composition and operating details are not described here; nevertheless, the existing works show that its compiling efforts focus on providing systematic and reliable basic reading materials for self-taught learners, giving it practical value in the field of adult education and self-study.

王宁 Author

Wang Ning: publicly available information is limited, and the shape of his work emerges mainly from the thirty-five titles held in the collection. Judging by his representative works, his writing spans several fields. He has produced works on Chinese language and philology such as Principles of Exegesis (Expanded Edition), Twelve Lectures on the Structure of Chinese Characters, and Ancient Chinese. He has also worked on classical texts including the Zuo Commentary and the Huainanzi, on the poetry of Wen Tingyun, and on the travel record of Xu Xiake, as well as on communication research methods. This range suggests a scholar engaged with both traditional philology and classical documents, writing with scholarly rigor while keeping specialized knowledge clear and readable. The collection also classifies his works under Eastern philosophy, examination preparation, essays, and film and television, indicating that he writes for classrooms, research, and general readers alike. Because his dates, nationality, and educational background are unknown, this note offers no speculation and limits itself to an objective sketch of his subjects and orientations.