新诗 (xīn shī) — modern vernacular Chinese poetry (emerged in early 20th century)

Definition

Modern Chinese poetry written in vernacular (baihua) from the early 20th century onward, influenced by Western forms. Contrast with 古诗 (classical poetry): new verse, free form, and everyday language rather than regulated tone and classical allusions.

noun
modern vernacular Chinese poetry (emerged in early 20th century)

Examples

  • 新诗。
    Hú shì shì dì yī wèi yòng bái huà xiě xīn shī de shī rén.
    Hu Shi was the first poet to write modern vernacular poetry.
  • 新诗。
    Zhōng guó xīn shī de fā zhǎn shòu dào xī fāng shī gē de hěn dà yǐng xiǎng.
    The development of modern Chinese poetry was greatly influenced by Western poetry.
  • 新诗，。
    Tā xǐ huan dú xīn shī, tè bié shì èr shí nián dài de zuò pǐn.
    He likes to read modern Chinese poetry, especially works from the 1920s.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

新xīnnew
诗shīpoem

新 (new) and 诗 (poem) together mean new poetry, especially modern free verse.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
斤斤jīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
辛
辛xīn新xīn
Same sound today

The shape originally paired 斤, for chopping wood, with 辛 for sound. It was borrowed for its sound to write 新, so the chopping-wood parts are unrelated to 'new'.

Open 新 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 詩; 诗 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeech
Sound part声符shēngfú
寺
寺sì詩shī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 詩 combines 言 (speech) with 寺 as a sound part, because poetry is a kind of speech; the simplified 诗 is a later abbreviation.

Open 诗 →

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