Ancient words · real sources
Describe a feeling, thought, or situation in English. We will match it to a real line from Chinese poetry and philosophy—with the original Chinese, pinyin, a clear English reading, author, work, and source.
Featured matches
These examples show the bilingual result format. Search with your own words to find a closer match.
Green, green is your collar; long, long is the yearning in my heart.
Plain meaningYou stay on my mind, and my longing does not fade.
If one has a true friend within the four seas, even the edge of the world feels like next door.
Plain meaningTrue friends remain close, however far apart they are.
Looking back at the bleak place I came through, I return: there is neither storm nor clear sky.
Plain meaningAfter weathering the storm, I no longer let hardship or ease define me.
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How it works
Use ordinary English. You do not need to know a poet, dynasty, title, or Chinese keyword.
The search compares themes, emotions, situations, and curated English expressions against the Chinese corpus.
Read the original line, pinyin, English explanation, author, work, collection, and surrounding context.