A Primer in Chinese Buddhist Writings
Volume One: Foundations
Lessons in Grammar - Lesson 1: Subject + Predicate
The three basic rules of Chinese word order are: 1) the subject precedes the predicate; 2) a modifier precedes the word it modifies; and 3) the verb precedes its object (Pulleyblank, p.14). There are exceptions to all of these rules. Below are examples of the first of these rules—subject + predicate—taken from the Cháng āhán jīng 長阿含經, the Chinese translation of the Dīrghāgama.
In the following examples, translate the line or passage that follows the vocabulary.
Example 1.1
| 竺佛念 | Zhú Fóniàn | Name of monk |
| 譯 | yì | to translate |
The beginning of the Cháng āhán jīng records the translator of the text as follows:
The object, the sutra itself, is understood.
Example 1.2
| 人 | rén | man, men, people |
| 壽 | shòu | lifespan |
| 八 | bā | eight |
| 萬 | wàn | ten thousand |
| 歲 | suì | years |
The Cháng āhán jīng, describing conditions at the time of a previous Buddha, states that during
the time of that Buddha...
Example 1.3
| 迦葉 | Jiāshè | Kāśyapa |
| 佛 | fó | Buddha |
| 坐 | zuò | to sit |
| 尼拘律樹 | níjūlǜshù | (type of tree), (Skt.) nyagrodha |
| 下 | xià | beneath |
Before his enlightenment, one of the Buddhas of the past did the following:
Example 1.4
| 尸棄 | Shīqì | (Skt.) Śikhin (a Buddha of the Past) |
| 有 | yǒu | to have, to possess |
| 二 | èr | two |
| 弟子 | dìzi | disciple |
Example 1.5
| 我 | wǒ | I, me, mine |
| 父 | fù | father |
| 名 | míng | to be named |
| 淨飯 | Jìngfàn |
In this line, the Buddha is speaking:
Note that, depending on context, the same word can be read as a verb or a noun. 名 can be
either “name” or “to be named”.
Example 1.6
| 告 | gào | to tell, to announce to |
| 比丘 | bǐqiū | bhikṣu |
This phrase introduces a statement by the Buddha.
Example 1.7
| 此 | cǐ | this, these |
| 是 | shì | to be; this; thus |
| 常 | cháng | constant, enduring, eternal |
| 法 | fǎ |
The text describes patterns common to all of the Buddhas of the past, concluding each
description of a particular facet of a Buddha's life (e.g. being born with special physical marks)
with the following passage:
Example 1.8
| 如 | rú | like, as |
| 聞 | wén | to hear |
The Chang ahan jing, after listing the translators and date of translation, begins with the phrase:
Note that 是 is not here a verb; in classical Chinese, it rarely is.
Example 1.9
| 諸 | zhū | all |
| 對 | duì | to respond, to answer |
After the Buddha asks his disciples a question, the following phrase introduces their response:
Example 1.10
| 智慧 | zhìhuì | wisdom; wisdom and insight |
| 增益 | zēngyì | to increase |
When a Buddha is in his mother's womb, this happens to the mother:
Review 1
You should now be able to translate the following passages without consulting the vocabulary lists:
Page updated on 2019-02-09