Vocabulary: 菜根谭
- to begin; to start; then; only then
- to comprehend; to apprehend; to become aware
- the human body; skeleton
- (literary) shackles
- birds; fowl
- sound; voice; tone; noise; reputation; classifier for sounds
- 闻 Wén: 闻 Wen2: surname Wen闻 wén: 闻 wen2: to hear; news; well-known; famous; reputation; fame; to smell; to sniff at
- to know the facts; to understand; to be familiar with the situation
- (bound form) at first; initially; (bound form) first; early; (bound form) (in lunar calendar dates, before numerals 1–10) days 1 to 10 of a month, as in 初三[chu1 san1] "the third"
- to rise; to raise; to get up; to set out; to start; to appear; to launch; to initiate (action); to draft; to establish; to get (from a depot or counter); verb suffix, to start; starting from (a time, place, price etc); classifier for occurrences or unpredictable events: case, instance; classifier for groups: batch, group
- to eradicate; to exterminate
- 新 xīn: 新 xin1: new; newly; meso- (chemistry)新 Xīn: 新 Xin1: abbr. for Xinjiang 新疆[Xin1 jiang1]; abbr. for Singapore 新加坡[Xin1 jia1 po1]; surname Xin
- to mow or cut grass; hay; straw; fodder
- hurry; fast; suddenly
- 工夫 gōng fū: 工夫 gong1 fu1: (old) laborer工夫 gōng fu: 工夫 gong1 fu5: period of time (may be months, or mere seconds); spare time; skill; labor; effort
- Heaven's law; the natural order of things
- at first; suddenly; abruptly; to spread; (of hair) to stand on end; bristling
- 明 míng: 明 ming2: bright; opposite: dark 暗[an4]; (of meaning) clear; to understand; next; public or open; wise; generic term for a sacrifice to the gods明 Míng: 明 Ming2: Ming Dynasty (1368–1644); surname Ming; Ming (c. 2000 BC), fourth of the legendary Flame Emperors, 炎帝[Yan2 di4] descended from Shennong 神農|神农[Shen2 nong2] Farmer God
- sufficient; full; to fill; to serve as; to act as; to act falsely as; to pose as
- 拓 Tùo: 拓 Tuo4: surname Tuo拓 tùo: 拓 tuo4: to expand; to push sth with the hand; to develop; to open up拓 tà: 拓 ta4: to make a rubbing (e.g. of an inscription)
- mirror; lens
- 磨 mò: 磨 mo4: grindstone; to grind; to turn round磨 mó: 磨 mo2: to rub; to grind; to polish; to sharpen; to wear down; to die out; to waste time; to pester; to insist
- luster; splendor; radiance; brilliance
- to replace the old with new; to renew; to renovate; to upgrade; to update; to regenerate
- 水 shǔi: 水 shui3: water; (after a name) ... River; to swim (used mostly in 會水|会水[hui4 shui3] and 水性[shui3 xing4]); (coll.) lacking in substance; shoddy; (bound form) additional cost; extra income; classifier for washings of a garment水 Shǔi: 水 Shui3: surname Shui; Shui ethnic group
- tool; device; utensil; equipment; instrument; talent; ability; to possess; to have; to provide; to furnish; to state; classifier for devices, coffins, dead bodies
- seawater
- 世 Shì: 世 Shi4: surname Shi世 shì: 世 shi4: life; age; generation; era; world; lifetime; epoch; descendant; noble
- 法 Fǎ: 法 Fa3: France; French; abbr. for 法國|法国[Fa3 guo2]; Taiwan pr. [Fa4]法 fǎ: 法 fa3: law; method; way; to emulate; (Buddhism) dharma; (abbr. for 法家[Fa3 jia1]) the Legalists; (physics) farad (abbr. for 法拉[fa3 la1])法 fǎ: 法 fa3: law
- need not; does not have to; not necessarily
- to taste; to try (food); to experience; (literary) ever; once
- 千 qiān: 千 qian1: thousand千 qiān: 千 qian1: used in 鞦韆|秋千[qiu1 qian1]
- 江 Jiāng: 江 Jiang1: surname Jiang; (bound form) Yangtze River; (bound form) Jiangsu Province (abbr. for 江蘇|江苏[Jiang1 su1])江 jiāng: 江 jiang1: river; CL:條|条[tiao2],道[dao4]
- always
- first round or stage (of a match, election, talks, planned policy etc)
- moonlight
- bead; pearl; CL:粒[li4],顆|颗[ke1]
- alone; independent; single; sole; only
- clear; bright
- to chat
- (literary) all; both; entirely; without exception; (literary) to be together; (literary) to be alike
- to swallow; to take
- 啮 niè: 啮 nie4: to gnaw; to erode啮 niè: 啮 nie4: to gnaw啮 Niè: 啮 Nie4: surname Nie
- 雪 xuě: 雪 xue3: snow; CL:場|场[chang2]; (literary) to wipe away (a humiliation etc)雪 Xuě: 雪 Xue3: surname Xue