In just thirteen brief, accessible chapters, this engaging little book takes "absolute beginners" from the most basic questions about the language (e.g., what does a classical Chinese character look like?) to reading and understanding selections from classical Chinese philosophical texts and Tang dynasty poetry. "An outstanding introduction to reading classical Chinese. Van Norden does a wonderful job of clearly explaining the basics of classical Chinese, and he carefully takes the reader through beautifully chosen examples from the textual tradition. An invaluable work." —Michael Puett, Harvard University

Outline of Classical Chinese Grammar is a comprehensive introduction to the syntactical analysis of classical Chinese. Focusing on the language of the high classical period, which ranges from the time of Confucius to the unification of the empire by Qin in 221, the book pays particular attention to the Mencius, the L�nyu, and, to a lesser extent, the Zu�zhu�n texts. Outline of Classical Chinese Grammar starts with a brief historical overview and a discussion of the relation between the writing system and the phonology. This is followed by an outline of overall principles of word order and sentence structure. The next sections deal with the main sentence types � nominal predicates, verbal predicates, and numberical expressions, which constitute a special type of quasiverbal predication. The final sections cover such topics as subordinate constitutents of sentences, nondeclarative sentence types, and complex sentences.

The core of this handbook for Classical Chinese grammar was wriiten by Archie Barnes, Head of the Chinese Department at Durham University (1961-1984). It was used for over 30 years by the university's Classical Chinese undergraduates. It has been significantly reworked and expanded for publication by Don Starr (Spalding Lecturer in Chinese Language and Civilisation at Durham University) and Graham Ormerod (a former Modern/Classical Chinese student). It has been complemented by new sections on Exposure, Interrogatives and Function Characters. A dictionary and index are also provided, as well as five annotated stories from Mrs Y.C. Liu's "Fifty Chinese Stories." This version uses original Chinese character texts, 'trots' (a translation of each character in context together with its pinyin transcription), comprehensive footnotes, and a full translation into English.

This textbook provides a comprehensive scholarly introduction to Classical Chinese and its texts. Classical Chinese is the language of Confucius and Mencius and their contemporaries, who wrote the seminal texts of Chinese philosophy more than 2,000 years ago. Although it was used as a living language for only a relatively short time, it was the foundation of Chinese education throughout the Imperial age, and formed the basis of a literary tradition that continues to the present day. This book offers students all the necessary tools to read, understand, and analyse Classical Chinese texts, including: step-by-step clearly illustrated descriptions of syntactic features; core vocabulary lists; introductions to relevant historical and cultural topics; selected readings from classical literature with original commentaries and in-depth explanations; introductions to dictionaries and other reference works on the study of ancient China; and a guide to philological methods used in the critical analysis of Classical Chinese texts. The extensive glossary provides phonological reconstructions, word classes, English translations, and citations to illustrate usage, while the up-to-date bibliography serves as a valuable starting point for further research.

Classical Chinese has prevailed as a written language in China for more than three millennia, and entrance to China's vast literary treasury rests in an understanding of classical Chinese grammar. This concise yet comprehensive textbook offers an unsurpassed introduction to the grammar of classical Chinese and allows readers to acquire the necessary proficiency to read and enjoy traditional Chinese texts with ease. Texts are presented in Chinese and English, and show the structural characteristics of basic sentence types in classical Chinese. The textbook examines critical words, phrases, and idiomatic constructions in terms of their respective positions and functions in a classical Chinese sentence. Examples illustrate each sentence type and are followed by precise translations in modern Chinese and English. Step-by-step exercises and answers are provided. Rigorously field-tested and fine-tuned in classroom settings, Classical Chinese: Introduction to Grammar is the ideal complement to the three-volume textbook Classical Chinese: A Basic Reader and its supplementary volumes--Readings in Poetry and Prose, Selections from Historical Texts, and Selections from Philosophical Texts. Taken together, these books provide the definitive resource for students and instructors of classical Chinese language and culture.

This textbook for beginning students contains 35 lessons of increasing difficulty designed to introduce students to the basic patterns of Classical Chinese and to provide practice in reading a variety of texts. The lessons are structured to encourage students to do more work with dictionaries and other references as they progress through the book. The Introduction provides an overview of the grammar of Literary Chinese. Part I presents eight lessons on sentence structure, parts of speech, verbs, and negatives. Part II consists of sixteen intermediate-level lessons, and Part III offers five advanced-level selections. Part IV has six lessons based on Tang and Song dynasty prose and poetry.

Mastering Advanced Modern Chinese through the Classics is a textbook to teach those who wish to achieve an advanced or native proficiency and cultural competence in modern Chinese, as well as to experience the beauty of Classical Chinese literature. Collecting representative works containing vibrant views of Chinese culture from different dynasties, this book is focused on how the grammatical patterns, vocabulary, and idioms that are found in Classical Chinese are relevant in the modern adaptation of the language, and how the accumulated traditional values and beliefs found there still shape the thinking and lifestyle of modern society. Online resources including audio, answer keys, and instructor aids will be part of the teaching package.

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar Workbook is a book of exercises and language tasks for all learners of Mandarin Chinese. Divided into two sections, the Workbook initially provides exercises based on essential grammatical structures, and moves on to practise everyday functions such as making introductions, apologizing and expressing needs. With a comprehensive answer key at the back to enable students to check on their progress, main features include: exercises graded according to level of difficulty cross-referencing to the related Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar topical exercises that develop students' vocabulary base. Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar Workbook is ideal for all learners of Mandarin Chinese, from beginner to intermediate and advanced students. It can be used both independently and alongside the Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar.