History in Chinese 历史
lìshǐ
History in Chinese is 历史 (lì shǐ).
Also searched for as: chinese history, dynasty, history.
How did it all begin? 15 essential history words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
History in Chinese is 历史 (lì shǐ), and with a handful of words you can talk about anything from 古代 (gǔ dài), ancient times, to the present day. Chinese history is usually told through 朝代 (cháo dài), dynasties, so names like 唐朝 (Táng cháo) and 明朝 (Míng cháo) come up constantly, along with landmarks such as 长城 (Cháng chéng), the Great Wall, and 故宫 (Gù gōng), the Forbidden City. These words are just as handy in a museum as in conversation.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 历史 | lì shǐ | history |
| 古代 | gǔ dài | ancient times |
| 现代 | xiàn dài | modern times |
| 朝代 | cháo dài | dynasty |
| 皇帝 | huáng dì | emperor |
| 长城 | Cháng chéng | Great Wall |
| 故宫 | gù gōng | Forbidden City |
| 战争 | zhàn zhēng | war |
| 革命 | gé mìng | revolution |
| 世纪 | shì jì | century |
| 文明 | wén míng | civilisation |
| 发明 | fā míng | invention |
| 四大发明 | sì dà fā míng | Four Great Inventions |
| 丝绸之路 | sī chóu zhī lù | Silk Road |
| 博物馆 | bó wù guǎn | museum |
Usage tips
- Dynasty names follow the pattern name plus 朝 (cháo): 宋朝 (Sòng cháo), 清朝 (Qīng cháo). Note that 朝 here is cháo, not zhāo as in 朝阳 (zhāo yáng), the morning sun.
- 世纪 (shì jì) works like English: 十九世纪 (shí jiǔ shì jì) is the 19th century. For decades, use 年代 (nián dài): 八十年代 (bā shí nián dài), the eighties.
- The 四大发明 (sì dà fā míng), China's Four Great Inventions, are papermaking, printing, gunpowder and the compass; every Chinese schoolchild learns the list, so it's a handy conversation topic.
Common mistakes
- Using 历史 (lì shǐ) for your personal past: 我有很多历史 sounds odd → your own experiences are 经历 (jīng lì), as in 我有很多经历 (wǒ yǒu hěn duō jīng lì).
- Mixing up 发明 (fā míng), to invent, and 发现 (fā xiàn), to discover: paper was 发明 (invented), but a new species is 发现 (discovered).
- Assuming 故宫 (Gù gōng) only means Beijing's Forbidden City: Taipei's National Palace Museum is also called 故宫 → say 北京故宫 (Běi jīng Gù gōng) or 台北故宫 (Tái běi Gù gōng) if it could be unclear.
Mini dialogue
- A周末你去哪儿了？Zhōu mò nǐ qù nǎr le?Where did you go at the weekend?
- B我去了历史博物馆，看了很多古代的东西。Wǒ qù le lì shǐ bó wù guǎn, kàn le hěn duō gǔ dài de dōng xi.I went to the history museum and saw loads of ancient things.
- A有意思吗？Yǒu yì si ma?Was it interesting?
- B很有意思！我最喜欢唐朝的那部分。Hěn yǒu yì si! Wǒ zuì xǐ huan Táng cháo de nà bù fen.Really interesting! I liked the Tang dynasty section best.
- A下次我们一起去爬长城吧。Xià cì wǒ men yī qǐ qù pá Cháng chéng ba.Next time let's go and climb the Great Wall together.
Example sentences
- 我很喜欢看历史书。I love reading history books.
- 古代的人怎么过冬？How did people in ancient times get through the winter?
- 现代生活越来越方便了。Modern life is getting more and more convenient.
- 唐朝是中国一个有名的朝代。The Tang was a famous Chinese dynasty.
- 这里以前是皇帝住的地方。This used to be where the emperor lived.
- 我们明天去爬长城。We're going to climb the Great Wall tomorrow.
- 故宫每天都有很多游客。The Forbidden City has lots of visitors every day.
- 这本书讲的是一场古代战争。This book is about an ancient war.
- 工业革命改变了人们的生活。The Industrial Revolution changed people's lives.
- 这座桥是十九世纪建的。This bridge was built in the nineteenth century.
- 这个博物馆介绍古代文明。This museum is about ancient civilisations.
- 电话是一个伟大的发明。The telephone was a great invention.
- 纸是中国四大发明之一。Paper is one of China's Four Great Inventions.
- 丝绸之路连接了东方和西方。The Silk Road linked East and West.
- 周末我们去了历史博物馆。At the weekend we went to the history museum.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The History speaking island has 8 everyday questions about history to prepare your own answers to.