LI SHANGYIN

From Wikipedia.
Language: 文言

李商隱

李商隱，字義山，懷州河內人，元和八年生。或言英國公世勣之裔孫，令狐楚帥河陽，奇其文，使與諸子游楚，徙天平宣武。皆表署巡官。

開成二年，擢進士第，調弘農尉，又試拔萃，中選，王茂元鎮河陽，愛其才，表掌書記，以子妻之，得侍御史。茂元善李德裕，而牛李黨人嗤謫，商隱以為詭薄無行，共排笮之，茂元死，來游京師，久不調，柳仲郢節度劍南、東川，辟判官檢校工部員外郎府，罷，客滎陽，大中十二年卒，年四十六。

商隱初為文，瑰邁奇古，及在令狐楚府，楚本工章奏，因授其學。商隱儷偶長短，而繁縟過之。時溫庭筠、段成式俱用是相夸，號三十六體。


李商隱 Lei seungyan.
字 ji: letter, character, word; courtesy name.
義山 yi saan: Li Shangyiin.
懷州 waai jau: Weizhou.
河內 ho nei: Henei, nowadays Qinyang (沁陽) in Henan (河南).
人 yan.
元 yuen.
和 wo.
八 baat.
年 nin.
生 saang
。
或 waak.
言 yan.
英國 ying gwok.
公世 gong sai.
勣 jik: merits, accomplishments.
之 ji.
裔孫 yeui suen: progeny and grand-descendents.
令 ling: command, order, allow. Magistrate.
狐 wu: fox.
楚 cho: ancient feudal state; distinct, clear, concise; bracken and shrub.
帥 seoi: handsome, graceful; commander.
河陽 ho yeung.
奇 gei: strange, odd.
其 kei: his, hers, theirs, its. That.
文 man: writing, literature.
使 sai: make, cause, enable; employ or use; envoy, legate.
與 yu: and with; to, for; same as as 歟 (particle of dubiousness).
諸子 chyu ji: the sages.
游 yau: to swim.
楚 cho.
徙 saai: move one's location, migrate.
天平 tin ping.
宣 suen: publicly announce, declare.
武 mo: martial.
。
皆 gaai: all, each, every.
表 biu: show, manifest, display.
署 chyu: public office.
巡 cheun: circuit, ronda.
官 gun: office.
。

開 hoi: open up, start, begin.
成 sing, seng: succeed, complete.
二 yi.
年 nin.
擢 jaak, jok: select.
進士 jeun si: highest civil service exam graduate.
進 jeun: advance, progress, enter.
第 dai.
調 diu: investigate, inquire into; argument, transfer; harmonize, reconcile.
弘 hong: enlarge, liberal, extensive; grand.
農 nung: agriculture.
尉 wai, wat: officer; military rank.
又 yau: once again, also.
試 si: examine, test; try.
拔萃 bat seui: to stand out; high level exam.
拔 bat: uproot, pull out.
萃 seui: densely, thick; collect together.
中選 jung suen: get position by passing exam; win election.
選 suen, syun: choose, select.
王 wong.
茂 mau: luxuriant, lush; talented.
元 yuen: primary.
鎮 jan: village, market town.
河陽 ho yeung.
愛 oi: love, be fond of.
其 gei.
才 choi: talent, ability.
表 biu: show, express, display.
掌 jueng: palm of hand; to hold, to wield.
書記 syu gei: secretary, clerk. 以 yi: thereby, therefore, according to, in accord with.
子 ji.
妻 chai: wife; to marry off a daughter.
之 ji.
得 dak: get, obtain; gain, catch; allow; permitted; grammatical particle.
侍 si: serve, attend upon; attend to.
御史 yü si: imperial censor.
御 yü, ngaa: drive, ride; chariot; manage.
史 si: history; chronicles, annals. 。
茂 mau.
元 yuen.
善 sin: good, virtuous; benevolent, kind.
李 lei.
德 tak: ethics, morality, virtue.
裕 yü: abundant, plentiful.
而 yi: and then, and yet, as well; because of.
牛 ngau.
李 lei.
黨人 dong yan: party member, partisan.
嗤 chi: scoff at, sneer, laugh at, ricule.
謫 jaak: censure, blame; disgrace, demote; punish. Send into internal exile at a distant posting in punishment.
商隱 seung yan.
以 yi.
為 wai: do, handle, manage, act; act for, act towards.
詭 gwai: deceit, crafty, sly; defraud.
薄 bok: thin, cold, weak; poor, stingy; indifferent.
無 mou: none, not any; without,
行 haang; row, series; enterprise, activity engaged upon; walk, traverse, behaviour, conduct; capable of, competent.
共 gung: shared, in common, together with, altogether.
排 paai: orderly, arranged, lined up; eliminate, drain; row, rank.
笮 jaak: slat supporting roof tiles.
之 ji.
茂元死 mau yuen si.
來 loi.
游 yau: roam, drift about, wander; swim.
京師 ging-si: national capital city (lit).
京 ging.
師 si.
久 gau: in a long time, long ago, after some time.
不 bat.
調 diu: transferred.
柳 lau: willow trees.
仲 jung.
郢 ying, ching: Ying, the ancient capital of 楚.
節 jit: knot, node, section; festival.
度 dok, dou: degree, system; methodology, manner; spend time, mark distance.
劍 gim: sword.
南 naam: south.
東 tung.
川 chuen.
辟 bik, pik: law, rule; develop; enlist, repell; monarch.
判官 pun gun: magistrate, jurist.
判 pun: judge, gauge; discriminate, determine.
檢校 gim gaau: verify, proof-read; redact.
檢 gim: examine.
校 gaau: school; field officer.
工部 gung bou: transport & irrigation ministry.
部 bou: part, section, division; office.
員 yun, yuen; wan: personnel, member of staff.
外 ngoi: outside.
員外 yuen-ngoi: landlord (arch.).
郎 lang: young gentleman, husband; a gallant; official.
府 fu: prefecture, prefectoral; official locus or residence; governmental.
罷 baa: cease, stop, finish.
客 haak: traveller, guest, customer, pilgrim.
滎陽 ying yueng: Xingyang in Henan.
大中十二年 daai jung sap yi nin.
卒 chuet, juet: soldier, servant; end, finally, at last; die.
年四十六 nin sei sap luk.
。


商隱 Seung yan.
初 cho: beginning, at first.
為 wai.
文 man.
瑰 gwai: fabulous, extraordinairy.
邁 maai: stride, step; outpace.
奇 gei: weird, odd.
古 gu: ancient, classical.
及 gap: extend, reach, up to.
在 choi.
令 ling: command, order; magistrate; allow.
狐 wu: fox.
楚 cho.
府 fu: seat of government.
楚 cho.
本 pun.
工 gung: work, labour, effort.
章 jueng: chapter, section; composition; clause; regulation, governmental order.
奏 jau: present a memorial to the emperor.
因 yan: cause, reason for, due to.
授 sau: teach, instruct; give, transmit, confer.
其 gei.
學 hok.
。
商隱 seung yan.
儷 lai: husband and wife, married couple.
偶 ngau: accidentally, coincidentally; image; match, mate.
長短 cheung dyun: duration; long and short, right and wrong, good and bad.
短 dyun (duen): short, brief; deficient, lacking.
而 yi.
繁縟 faan yuk: manifold, elaborate.
繁 faan: complex, difficult; complicated.
縟 yuk: decorative and elegant.
過 gwo: pass, go through, go across; time marker (completed action).
之 ji.
。
時 si.
溫 wan: lukewarm, tepid; warm.
庭 ting: courtyard, lawcourt; large hall.
筠 wan, gwan: bamboo skin. 段 dyun (duen): section, piece, division; period of time, length of tale or string, surname.
成 sing: complete.
式 sik: style, pattern, form, system.
俱 geui: entirely, altogether.
用 yung.
是 si.
相 seung: mutual, each other.
夸 kwaa: luxuriant, gorgeous.
號 hou: mark, sign, symbol, numeral.
三十六 saam sap luk.
體 tai: body, format; style, system; group, class.
。



APPENDICES


文言者，古中國書其言以述志表情者也。

先民言語傳乎口耳，至結繩以記，事日贅，是結繩之不足，求諸繪圖，繪圖猶逾，而創字製文，金石竹帛載之，自劉漢而書諸紙。唐宋降，文士崇古非今，尚先秦古文，規法矩繩，典模乃定。由是，口述耳聞者雖變於百歲千載，手書目觀者猶通，前後貫延三代。唯文言非創於一舉而得，所式所尊，莫衷一是，時比燕越。

文言 man yin: classical Chinese.
者 je: that which, whichever that, who.
古 gu: old, ancient.
中國 jung gwok.
書 syu: book, writing, epistle; style of writing.
其 gei.
言 yin: word, speech, say.
以 yi:
述 seut: narrate, state; to relate, to speak of, to tell.
志 ji: apsiration, ambition, purpose.
表情 biu ching: express feeling, facial expression.
者 je.
也 ya: final particle of affirmation or inclusionality.
。

先 sin.
民 man.
言語 yin yü: spoken language.
傳 chuen, chyun: propoagate, transmit.
乎 fu, wu: (particle like 於 or 于) in, at, from; final particle similar expressing doubt or astonishment.
口 hau: mouth, entrance; vocal.
耳 yi: only, merely; ear, handle.
至 ji: reach, arrive, the extreme.
結 git: knot, join, connect; bear fruit, result.
繩 sing: rope, cord; measure, restrain.
以 yi.
記 gei: record, remember.
事 si: affairs, business; matters, events.
日 yat: day, date; sun.
贅 jeui: unnecessary, superfluous, redundant: son-in-law living with his wife's parent.
是 si.
結 git.
繩 sing.
之 ji.
不足 pat jeui: insufficient, deficient, inadequate; unworthy.
足 juk, jeui: foot; attained, enough.
求 kau: beseech, request.
諸 jyu: several, various.
繪圖 kui tou: draw, to diagram or chart.
繪 kui: sraw, sketch, paint.
圖 tou: map, chart, picture.
繪圖 kui tou.
猶 yau: like, similar, just like, as.
逾 yiu (yü): go over, exceed.
而 yi.
創 chong: establish, create; cut, injure, knife stroke.
字 ji.
製 jai: make, manufacture, produce.
文 man.
金石 kam sek: hard objects upon which can be inscribed. Metal and stone.
竹帛 juk baak: soft surfaces upon which can be limned. Bamboo and silk.
載 joi: a year in record; carry, transport, convey.
之 ji.
自 ji.
劉 lau: destroy, slaughter.
漢 hon.
而 yi.
書 syu.
諸 chyu: all, various/
紙 ji: paper.
。

唐宋 tong sung: The tang and Sung era, 618 - 1279.
降 gong, hong: drop, fall, descend.
文士 man si: literati, the scholars.
崇 sung: esteem, honour, revere, venerate.
古 gu.
非 fei: not, in opposition to, unlike.
今 kam.
尚 seung: still, yet, fairly, rather.
先秦 sin cheun: pre-Qin; Chinese history before the Qin Dynasty.
古文 gu man: old language; classic literature.
規 kwai: rule, law, statute.
法 faat: laws, regualtions.
矩 geui: carpenter's square; drafting scale, rule.
繩 sing.
典 din: canon, documentation, scripture; reference.
模 mou: pattern, example; to imitate.
乃 naai: then, really, indeed; namely.
定 ding: set, fixed, settled, decided. 。
由 yau: for this reason.
是 si.
口述 hau seut: dictated, recounted orally.
述 suet: narrate, state, express.
耳聞 yi man: to hear about.
者 je.
雖 seui: although, even if.
變 bin: change, transform.
於 yü; wu: in, at, on; oh woe, alack.
百歲千載 baak seui chin joi: one hundred years of age and a thousand years of recorded time; a very long time; forever.
手 sau: hand.
書目 syu muk: booklist, bibiliography.
觀 gun: see, observe.
者 je.
猶 yau: just like, similar to.
通 tung: pass through, communicate.
前後 chin hau: from beginning to end.
貫 gun: pierce, pass through, be strung together; a string of cash.
延 yin: prolong, extend; delay.
三代 saam doi: third generation. 。
唯 wai: yes, only, thus then.
文言 man yin: classical Chinese.
非 fei.
創 chong: wound, cut, injury.
於 yü: in, at, on.
一舉 yat geui: action, at one stroke, in one move.
舉 geui: raise, lift up, move something. Recommend.
而得 yi tak.
所 so: place, locus; thus.
式 sik.
所 so.
尊 jyun, jeun: respect, venerate, honour.
莫衷一是 mok chong yat si: still a matter of discussion, no decision yet possible.
莫 mou, mok: not possible, cannot; is not.
衷 chong: heart, heartfelt; fundamentally.
時 si.
比 bei, pei.
燕 yin: the swallow (bird); enjoy; name of several ancient states throughout history.
越 yuet: exceed, go beyond; boundary; Viet, Yuet.
。


李商隱

李商隱（813年1－約858年），字義山，號玉谿生、樊南生。晚唐詩人。原籍河內懷州（今河南沁陽），祖輩遷滎陽（今河南鄭州）。詩作文學價值很高，他和杜牧合稱“小李杜”，與溫庭筠合稱為“溫李”，與同時期的段成式、溫庭筠風格相近，且都在家族里排行16，故并稱為三十六體。在《唐詩三百首》中，李商隱的詩作佔廿二首，數量位列第四。



NOTE: Li Shanyin, Wenyen.

PORCELAIN

Jun ware: 鈞窯
Ding porcelain: 定瓷
Ru ware: 汝窯
Guan ware: 官窯
Ge ware: 哥窯
Celadon: 青磁
Jian ware: 建陽窯
Blue-and white: 青花瓷
Jing De Zhen: 景德鎮


Jun ware (鈞窯): a distinct blue celadon-type with opalescence caused by variations in the kiln-temperature during a slow heating-up and gradual cooling-off period in the firing, allowing the glaze to remain viscous for a long time. As with Celadon, there is iron in the material, which gives the blueish hues, and often traces of copper which render purplish streaks.

[鈞窯 gwan yiu. 鈞 gwan: thirty catty (斤) measure. 窯 yiu: kiln, oven.
斤 gan: catty; approx one pound US. Shrewd. Second person singular honorific. 擔 daam: one hundred catties; a carrying pole load. 兩 leung: tael; one sixteenth of a catty, though in modern usage an ounce, set at fifty grammes.]


Ding porcelain (定瓷): Ivory or cream-hued products famous from the Tang Dynasty (唐代)onwards.

[定瓷 deng chi. 定 deng, ding: fixed, assured. Decide, ascertain, settle. 瓷 chi: porcelain.
唐 tong: vain bragging, posturing.
唐代 tong doi: Tang dynasty 618 - 907. 大唐 daai tong: Tang Dynasty.
長安 cheung on: Chang'an: 'long peace', name of Tang capital city.
唐詩 tong si: poems from the Tang period.
李白 lei baak: Li Po, 701 - 762. 李 lei: wild plum. Judge.
杜甫 dou fu: Du Fu, 712 - 770. 杜 dou: stop, restrict, cause to halt. 甫 fu, pou: distance of ten li. Begin, man, father.
孟浩然 maang hou yin: Meng Haoran, 689 - 740. 孟 maang: first in series. Prominent. 浩 hou: great, abundant, vast. 然 yin: most assuredly, indeed!
白居易 baak geui yik: Bai Juyi, 772 - 846. 居 geui: live, dwell, reside. Stay at. 易 yi, yik: changes; easy.
王維 wong wai: Wang Wei, 701 - 761. 維 wai: maintain, safeguard, preserve; continue tradition.
杜牧 dou muk: Du Mu, 803 - 852. 牧 muk: breed livestock, tend cattle.
黃鶴樓 wong hok lau: Yellow Crane Tower, a famous landmark mentioned in a poem by 崔顥 (died 754), (cite: 人去樓空' the people have gone and the tower is empty'; the past will not return).
崔 cheui: high, lofty, supreme. 顥 hou: luminous, hoary.

Note: the Yellow Crane Tower is also the location from whence Li Po famously bade farewell to Meng Haoran as mentioned in this quatrain: 故人西辭黃鶴樓，煙花三月下揚州；孤帆遠影碧空盡，惟見長江天際流。 "Gu yan sai chi wong hok lau, yin faa saam yuet haa yeung jau; gu faan yuen ying bik hung jeun, wai kin cheung gong tin jai lau."

Further random mentions:
 蘇軾 sou sik: Su Shi, 1037 - 1101, also known as Su Dongpo 蘇東坡, one of the three Su essayists and literateurs (三蘇).
蘇 sou: revive, ressurect. Soviet. 軾 sik: bar at the front of a sedan chair; lean-upon, support (noun).
陸羽 luk yü: Lu Yu, 733 - 804. Famous tea author. 陸 luk: land, continent. Realm. 羽 yü: feather, plume. Mnemonic for the scholars, esp. in Confucian ceremonial.
韓愈 hon yü: Han Yu, 768 - 824. Famous essayist and poet. 韓 hon: fence. Korea. 愈 yü: ever more, even more. Continually more.
琵琶行 pei paa haang: 'song of the lute' - famous poem by Bai Juyi (白居易).
 韃靼 taat daat: tatars; the characters are purely phonetic. Nowadays called 塔塔.
唐末 tong mut: the final years of tang, from the end of the ninth century onwards.
張旭 cheung yuk: Chang Xu, famous poet and calligrapher known for his grass script (草書). 張 cheung: stretch, expand. 旭 yuk: sunrising, brilliant. Radiance.
唐宋八大家 tong sung baat daai ga: the eight famous exemplars of tang and Sung dynasty essays; 韓愈 (Han Yu), 柳宗元 (Liu Zongyuan), 歐陽修 (Ouyang Xiu), 蘇洵 (Su Xuan), 蘇軾 (Su Shi), 蘇轍 (Su Zhe), 王安石 (Wang Anshi), and 曾鞏 (Zeng Gong).
修 sau: decorate, embellish; repair, fix, build. Cultivate literature. Write. Study.
蘇洵 sou seun: Su Xuan, 1009 - 1066; father of 蘇軾 and 蘇轍.
蘇軾 sou sik: Su Dongpo, 1037 - 1101; sou tung po (東坡 eastern slope).
蘇轍 sou chit: Su Zhe, 1039 - 1112. 轍 chit: wagon ruts.
曾鞏 chang gung: Zeng Gong, 1019 - 1083. 曾 chang, jang: already. Past tense marker. 鞏 gung: bound, secured; firm.
楊玉環 yeung yuk waan: Yang Yuhuan, 719 - 756; also known as Yang Kueifei (楊貴妃), the chubby temptress whose machinations as imperial consort wrecked the realm. Strangled by the army during the Anlushan rebellion (安史之亂).
歐陽詢 au yeung suen: Ouyang Xun, one of the four first greats among the Tang poets (唐初四大家).
柳宗元 lau jung yuen; Liu Zongyuan, 773 - 819; tang literateur, proponent of the classical writing style (古文運動, 復古). 女皇帝 neui wong dai: empress; referring to Wu Zetian (武則天 mou jak tin), 624 - 705, in power 690 - 705.
曌 jiu: grapheme invented as personal name by Wu Zetian.
武 mou: martial, warlike. 則 jak: rule, law, regulation.
卿 hing: noble, high-ranking official. Term of married endearment. term used by the emperor for subjects.
總監 jung gaam: commissioner, local governor. 總 jung: altogether, in toto. 監 gaam: supervise, control.
三藏 saam jong: Tripitaka, Bhuddist scholar who travelled to India.
藏 jong: hide, conceal, store up. Book collection.
李商隱 lei sueng yan: Li Shangyin, 813 - 858. 隱 yan: hide, conceal.
唐玄宗 tong yün chung: Emperor Hsuan Tsung, 685 - 762, rein 712 - 756.
玄 yün: deep, profound. 宗 chung: lineage, ancestral.


Ru ware (汝窯): Beautiful pale blue crackly glaze with hue variations. The iron oxide in the glaze becomes greenish and blueish when fired in a reducing atmosphere. Ru wares vary from off-white to beautiful pale blues, with brownish crackling due to the different expansion rates of the body and the glaze.

[汝窯 yü yiu. 汝 yü: you, thou.]


Guan ware (官窯): Thin-walled thick glazed porcelains made under court supervision from the Sung Dynasty (宋朝), more particularly Southern Sung. The body is brown or greyish brown, the luminescent glaze itself a velvety enamelesque with bold crackles, in shades of white, off-yellow, faint greens, or pale pale blues.

[官窯 gun yiu. 官 gun: official, government. 宋朝 sung chiu: Song, 960 - 1279.]


Ge ware (哥窯): Related to Guan ware, and developed during late Song - early Yuan. Jing De Zhen. Both crackled blueish-glazed ware and yellowish glaze with bold dark crackles interspersed with lighter reddish hairlines. Note: large pattern crackle. From Chekiang (浙江).

[哥窯 go yiu. 哥 go: elder brother. 元朝 yuen chiu: Mongol Dynasty, 1279 - 1368. 元 yuen: first, whole dollar, origin. 朝 chiu: dynasty, court, morning. 浙江 chit gong: Chekiang Province. 浙 chit: twisty river, Abbreviation of Chekiang. 江 gong: river. 瓯 au: drinking bowl, cup. Shallow rimmed tray. Ancient name for Wenchow (溫州). 岙 ou: montane terrace, level area in the hills. Island. Often used in Chekiang and Fukien place names. 温 wan: lukewarm, warmish. Soft, tender. Review, revise, redact. Epidemic. 州 jau: state; administrative region.]


Celadon (青磁):The famous greenish - blueish - yellow-brownish hue range is because of iron oxides, the reduction firing makes it crackly. This was most famously manufactured at the Long Guan kilns (Longguan: 龍泉) in Chitkong province (Zhejiang: 浙江), which is south of Shanghai. It was also produced at King Tak Chan (Jingdezhen: 景徳鎮), as well as in Korea and Japan. It is still made in all those places.


Jian ware (建陽窯): blackware and rabbits fur from Kien-Yang (建陽) in Nanping Prefecture (南平), Fukien Province (福建省).


Blue and white ware (青花): White porcelain with cobalt oxide decorative patterns sealed-in by a clear glaze. The blue pigment was usually somewhat impure, which added character and a glowing quality, especially with faint bleeding past the lines during firing. Notable from the Ming Period (明代) onward, often exported.


Rabbit's fur (兔毫): Often called 'partridge pattern glaze' (鹧鸪斑釉), these are usually black or dark brown (黑釉) tea-bowls (茶碗) from the Kienyang kiln (建陽窯黑釉) created during the Sung Dynasty, with striations and streaks like partridge feathers (鹧鸪羽毛) caused by iron oxide "curdling" in the glaze during firing. Prized variations include greyish rabbit fur (灰兔毫), yellow rabbit fur (黃兔毫), silver rabbit fur (銀兔毫), and gold rabbit fur (金兔毫).

[兔毫 tou hou: rabbit's fur; thin-streaked glaze pattern. 兔 tou: rabbit. 毫 hou: fine hair or fur.
鹧鸪斑釉 je gu baan yau: partridge stripe glaze. 鹧鸪 je gu: partridge. 鸪 gu: Formosan pigeon.
斑 baan: pattern, striped effect. Mariegation, mottles, freckles.
色斑 sik baan: stain, splotch, freckle. 雀斑 jeuk baan: freckles (sparrow spots). 雀 jeuk: sparrow. 釉 yau: pottery or porcelian glaze.
黑釉 hak yau: black glaze ware.  建陽窯黑釉 gin yeung yiu hak yau.   鹧鸪羽毛 je gu yü mou.  茶碗 chaa wun: tea bowl.   羽毛 yü mou: feathers, plumage.   灰兔毫 fui tou hou: ashy-grey rabbit fur glaze.   灰 fui: ashy, dust, grey.   黃兔毫 wong tou hou.   銀兔毫 ngaan tou hou.  金兔毫) kam tou hou.]


Oil-spot (油點瓷 or 天目釉) is technically a variation of rabbit's fur, in which the glaze is applied thickly, and as the red iron oxide molecules release oxygen they head to the surface, where the oxygen escapes and traces of iron are left, creating spots. Really thick glazes require a higher proportion of feldspar to stiffen so that they do not run and fuse the ceramic objects to the surfaces within the kiln on which they were placed. At extremely high temperatures, the glaze flows down, creating the rabbit fur effect; naturally these products will have a relatively thin glaze compared to oil-spot, and often the foot is comparatively tall and bare.



Imperial yellow, aka mustard yellow enamel (黄搪瓷): In Chinese the various constituents are not differentiated, but you should know that so-called 'imperial yellow' is lead-antimonate -- three parts lead oxide, one part powdered quartz, plus oxides and binders -- fired at a lower temperature than porcelain glazes, and hence not safe for food service. But the result is beautiful, and vessels with an interior free of the enamel (in other words with a white porcelainous glaze) should be safe. Often called 'soft yellow' (嬌黄).




NOTE: no slight tickle

TEA

茶 chaa: tea.

泡茶 pou chaa: to make tea.
泡 pou: bubbles, suds; blister; soak.

綠茶 luk chaa: green tea.
綠 luk: green; chlorine.

飲茶 yam chaa: to have tea and refreshments / to have dimsum lunch (Cantonese).
飲 yam: drink; swallow.

奶茶 naai chaa: milk tea.
奶 naai: milk; woman's breasts; nurse.

茶葉 chaa yip: tea-leaves.
葉 yip: leaf, petal; page of book.

茶杯 chaa pui: teacup / tea-glass or cup.

茶包chaa baau: tea bag.
包 baau: wrap, pack, bundle; package.

普洱茶 pou nei chaa: Pu'er tea from the Pu'er region of Yunnan.
普 pou: universal, general, widespread.
洱 yi, nei: a lake in Yunnan.


珍珠奶茶 jan jyu naai chaa: pearl milk tea / tapioca milk tea / bubble milk tea.
珍 jan: precious, valuable, rare.
珠 jyu: precious stone, gem, jewel, pearl.
奶 naai: milk; woman's breasts; nurse.

品茶 ban​ chaa​: to taste tea / to sip tea.
品 ban: article, product, commodity.

茶樹 chaa syu:​ tea tree / Camellia sinensis.

品茗 ban ming: to taste tea / to sip tea.
茗 ming: tea; tea plant.

抹茶 maat chaa:​ green tea powder.
抹 maat, mut: smear, apply, wipe off, erase.

茶座 chaa jo:​ teahouse / tea-stall with seats / tea-garden or teahouse seat.
座 jo: seat; stand, base.

沏 chai:​ to steep (tea).

清茶 cheng chaa:​ green tea / only tea (without food).
清 cheng, ching: clear, pure, clean; peaceful.

烏龍茶 wu lung chaa: Oolong tea.
烏 wu: crow, rook, raven; black, dark.
龍 lung: dragon; symbolic of emperor.

茶點 chaa dim:​ tea and cake / refreshments / tea and dimsun 點心, traditional Hong Kong lunch.
點 dim: dot, speck, spot; point, degree.

花茶 faa chaa:​ scented tea.
花 faa: flower; blossoms.

茶藝 chaa ngai:​ the art of tea.
藝 ngai: art; talent, ability; craft.

茶莊 chaa jong: tea shop.

莊 jong: village, hamlet; villa; surname.

涼茶 leung chaa: Chinese herb tea.
涼 leung: cool, cold; disheartened.

茶具chaa geui: tea set / tea service.
具 geui: tool, implement; draw up, write.

茶葉蛋 chaa yip daan: tea egg.
葉 yip; sip: leaf, petal; page of book; period.
蛋 daan: eggs.

春茶cheun cha: spring tea / tea-leaves gathered at spring time.
春 cheun: spring; wanton.

珍奶 jan naai:​ abbr. for pearl milk tea 珍珠奶茶.
珍 jan: precious, valuable, rare.
奶 naai: milk; woman's breasts; nurse.

菊花茶 guk faa chaa: chrysanthemum tea.
菊 guk: chrysanthemum.
花 faa: flower; blossoms.

檸檬茶 ning mung chaa: lemon tea (also: 柠檬茶).
檸 ning: lemon.
檬 mung: type of locust tree.

热茶 yit chaa: hot tea.
熱 yit: hot; heat; fever; restless; zeal.

早茶 jou chaa: morning tea.
早jou: early; soon; morning.

鐵觀音 tit gun yam: Iron Godess of Mercy Tea; Tieguanyin tea.
鐵 tit: iron; strong, solid, firm.
觀 gun: see, observe, view; appearance.
音 yam: sound, tone, pitch, pronunciation.

陸羽 luk yu: Lu Yu (733-804), Chinese writer from Tang dynasty, known for his obsession with tea.
陸 luk: land, continental; army; an accounting form of 六 (six).
羽 yu (yiu): feather, plume; wings.

端上 dyun seung:to serve (food, tea etc).
端 dyun (deun): end, extreme portion; beginning, head.

茉莉花茶 mut lei faa chaa: jasmine tea.
茉 mut: white jasmine.
莉 lei: white jasmine.
花 faa: flower; blossoms.

茶餘飯後chaa yiu faan hou: leisure time (over a cup of tea, after a meal etc).

拉茶 laai chaa: teh tarik, Malaysian tea with milk.
拉 laai; laap: pull, drag; seize, hold; lengthen.

茶農 chaa nung: tea farmer, tea grower.
農 nung: agriculture, farming; farmer.

玄米茶 suen mai chaa: genmaicha / Japanese tea with added roasted brown rice.

敬茶 ging chaa: to serve tea (to guests).
敬 ging: respect, honor; respectfully.

窨 fan: to scent tea with flowers / variant of 熏.

釅 yim:​ strong (of tea).

茶馬古道 chaa maa gu dou: old tea-horse road or southern Silk Road, dating back to 6th century, from Tibet and Sichuan through Yunnan and Southeast Asia, reaching to Bhutan, Sikkim, India and beyond.
馬 maa: horse; surname.
古 gu: old, classic, ancient.
道 dou: path, road, street; method, way.

茶經 chaa ging: the Classic of Tea, first monograph ever on tea and its culture, written by 陸羽between 760-780.
經 ging: classic works; pass through.

龍井茶 lung jeng chaa: Dragon Well Tea.
龍 lung: dragon; symbolic of emperor.
井 ging: well, mine shaft, pit.

烹茶 paang chaa: to brew tea.
烹paang: boil, cook, quick-fry.

茶飯不思 chaa faan bat si: no thought for tea or rice (idiom); melancholic and suffering / to have no appetite.
飯 faan: cooked rice; food; meal.
不 bat; fau: no, not; un-; negative prefix.
思 si: think, consider, ponder; final particle.

黑茶 hak chaa: dark tea, a variety of fermented tea (e.g. Pu'er tea 普洱茶).
黑 haak, hak: black; dark; evil, sinister.

茶錢 chaa chin: tip / gratuity / money for tea.
錢 chin: money, currency, coins.

功夫茶 gung fu chaa: very concentrated type of tea drunk in Chaozhou, Fujian and Taiwan.
工夫茶 (same as above).
功 gung: achievement, merit, good result.
工 gung: labor, work; worker, laborer.
夫 fu: man, male adult, husband, master.

波霸奶茶 bo baa naai chaa: bō​bà​nǎi​chá,​ bubble milk tea made with tapioca pearls.
波 bo: waves, breakers; undulations.
霸 baa: rule by might rather than right.
奶 naai: milk; woman's breasts; nurse.

酥油茶 sou yau chaa: butter tea (Tibetan, Mongolian etc drink derived from milk).
酥 sou: buttery; flaky, crispy, light, fluffy.
油 yau: oil, fat, grease, lard; paints.

沾唇 jim seun: to moisten one's lips / to sip (wine, tea etc) / esp. used with negatives: never touch a drop of the stuff.
沾 jim: moisten, wet, soak; touch.
唇 seun: lips.

滇紅 din hung: Dian Hong tea.
滇 din, tin: Yunnan province.
紅 hung: red, vermillion; blush, flush.

茶點時間 chaa dim si gaan: tea break / tea and dimsun 點心, traditional Hong Kong lunch.
點 dim: speck, spot; point, degree.
時 si: time, season; era, age, period.
間 gaan: interval, space; place, between.

珠茶 jyu chaa: gunpowder tea, Chinese green tea whose leaves are each formed into a small pellet.
珠 jyu: precious stone, gem, jewel, pearl.

茶飯無心 chaa faan mou sam: no heart for tea or rice (idiom); melancholic and suffering / to have no appetite.
飯 faan: cooked rice; food; meal.
無 mou: negative, no, not; lack, have no.
心 sam: heart; mind, intelligence; soul.

紅茶 hung chaa: black tea.
紅 hung: red, vermillion; blush, flush.

茶話會 chaa waa wui: tea party.

茶几 chaa gei: small side table / coffee table / teapoy (ornamental tripod with caddies for tea).
几 gei: small table.

長島冰茶 cheung dou bing chaa: Long Island Iced Tea.
長 cheung, jeung: long; length; excel in; leader.
島 dou: island.
冰 bing: ice; ice-cold.

茶會 chaa wui: tea party.
會 wui: to assemble, meet together; a meeting; an organization.

香片 heung pin: jasmine tea / scented tea.
香 heung: fragrant, sweet smelling, incense.
片 pin: disk, sheet, splinter, strip.

柴米油鹽醬醋茶 chaai mai yau yim jeung chou chaa: lit. firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy, vinegar, and tea / fig. life's daily necessities.
柴 chaai: firewood, faggots, fuel.
米 mai: hulled or husked uncooked rice.
油 yau: oil, fat, grease, lard; paints.
鹽 yim: (same as 塩) salt.
醬 jeung: any jam-like or paste-like food.
醋 chou: vinegar; jealousy, envy.

快可立 faai ho lap: Kuài​kě​lì​, the Quickly tapioca milk tea franchise.
快 faai: rapid, quick, speedy, fast; soon.
可 ho: may, can, -able; possibly.
立 laap, lap; wai: stand; let stand; establish, set.

粗茶淡飯 chou chaa daam faan: plain tea and simple food / (fig.) bread and water.
粗 chou: rough, thick, course; rude.
淡 daam, taam: weak, watery; insipid, tasteless.
飯 faan: cooked rice; food; meal.

沱茶 to chaa: tuó​chá, ​ a cake of tea, commonly Pu'er tea 普洱茶, compacted into a bowl or nest shape / dome shaped tea-brick / caked tea.
沱 to: rivers, streams, waterways; flow.

殺青 saat ching: to put the last hand to (a book, a film etc) / to finalize / to kill-green (a step in the processing of tea leaves).
殺 saat: kill, slaughter, murder; hurt; to pare off, reduce, clip.
青 cheng, ching: blue, green, black; young.

焙煎 bui jin: to dry and roast over a low fire (tea, chestnuts, seaweed etc).
焙 bui: dry over slow fire; bake; roast.
煎 jin: fry in fat or oil; boil in water.

茶馬互市 chaa maa wu si: old tea-horse market between Tibet, China, Southeast Asia and India, formalized as a state enterprise under the Song dynasty.
馬 maa: horse; surname.
互 wu: mutually, reciprocally.
巾 si: market, fair; city, town; trade.

要加牛奶 yiu gaa ngau naai: with milk / white (of tea, coffee etc).
要 yiu: necessary, essential; necessity.
加 gaa: add to, increase, augment.
牛 ngau: cow, ox, bull.
奶 naai: milk; woman's breasts; nurse.

不加牛奶 bat gaa ngau naai: without milk / black (of tea, coffee etc).
不 bat; fau: no, not; un-; negative prefix.
加 gaa: add to, increase, augment.
牛 ngau: cow, ox, bull.
奶 naai: milk; woman's breasts; nurse.

格雷伯爵茶 gaak leui baak jeuk chaa: Earl Grey tea.
格 gaak: pattern, standard, form; style.
雷 leui: thunder.
伯 baak: older brother; father's elder brother; senior male 'sire'; feudal rank 'count'.
爵 jeuk: feudal title or rank.

擦碗布 chaa wun bou: dish cloth / tea towel.
擦 chaat: wipe, scrub, rub, scour; brush.
碗 wun: bowl, small dish.
布 bou: cotton cloth, textiles, linen.

茶敘會chaa jeui wui: tea-time talk.
敘 jeui: express, state, relate, narrate.
會 wui: to assemble, meet together; a meeting; an organization.

三茶六飯 saam chaa luk faan: lit. to offer three kinds of tea and six different dishes / to be extremely considerate towards guests (idiom).
三 saam: three.
六 luk: number six.
飯 faan: cooked rice; food; meal.


ADDENDUM

Keemun: 祁門紅茶 (kei-mun hong chaa) from Anhui (安徽 on-woei) in eastern China is much preferred for expensive English blends.
Yunnan tea, golden tippy Yunnan: 金芽滇紅 (kam ngaa din hong) and 滇紅茶 (din hong chaa) is a black tea developed during the latter half of the twentieth century, primarily for export.
Lichee tea: 荔枝紅茶 (lei-ji hong chaa) is black tea with lichee fragments added, hence a curiosity for export, fine for ice-tea.
Jasmine tea: 茉莉花茶 (mut-lei faa cha), also called 香片 (heung pin: fragrant slivers) comes from Fujian province (福建省 fuk-gin saang), and is very popular among southern Chinese. Its taste is tangy and slightly astringent.
Oolong: 烏龍 (wu-lung: dark dragon), a semi-fermented Fujianese tea also produced in a number of other areas, of which there are a great variety of types and qualities, some of which are quite expensive.
Lapsang souchong: 拉山茶 (laap saan chaa), 拉山小種 (laap saan siu jong), 拉普山小種 (laap pou saan siu jong). A smoky dark tea from the mountains of Fujian.
Yi-Hsing teapot, Small purple sand teapot: 宜興茶壺 (yi-heng chaa-wu) or 紫砂茶壺 (ji-saa chaa-wu).
Gungfu style: 功夫茶式 (gung fu chaa sik), also called 'old folks tea': 老人茶 (lou yan chaa).
Shui Hsien: 水仙茶 (seui-sin chaa: water fairy tea) is a medium-ferment from Fujian province that has a nectar-like fragrance at the higher grades, a toasty smell at the lower end.
Pu-Erh: 普洱茶 (pou nei chaa), a fermented and oxidized pressed tea from Yunnan province (雲南 wan-naam) reputed to be healthful and good for the digestion. You will most often encounter it at dim sum restaurants.
Cheng saan siu jong: 正山小种 (jeng-saan siu-jong), what lapsang souchong is commonly called.
Souchong: 小种 (siu-jong) lesser planting, minor cultivation, sub-variety; the lower leaves, a coarser and less delicate product without the fragrance and sweetness of the buds.
Pekoe: 白毫 white fuzz, pronounced 'pek-ho' in Fujian dialect, 'baak hou' in 'Cantonese', so named in reference to the slight remnant of downy filaments still adhering after harvest).
Lipton: 立頓紅茶 (laahp-deun hong chaa).
Goiwun: (蓋碗 cover + bowl), a handleless cup for brewing, with a lid and a deep saucer. Also called a chaa-jung (茶盅).

LOOKUP 05172013 A

Recognized words containing 艸.

芈 me: bleat of sheep; surname.
芒 mong: Miscanthus sinensis.
芬 fan: fragrance, aroma; perfume.
芯 sam: pith from rush (juncus effusus).
芲 faa: flower; blossoms.
芳 fong: fragrant; virtuous; beautiful.
芹 kan: celery.
苔 toi: lichen, moss.
苺 mui: berries.
茁 juet, jyut: to sprout, flourish; sprouts appearing above-ground; vigorous.
茆 maau: grass species, mallow.
茈 chaai, chi, ji: red plant dye herb.
茍 gau: to be circumspect or cautious in behaviour.
茖 gaak, gok: allium victorialis.
茗 ming: teaplant, tea sprout.
茞 choi, ji, chan: angelica.
茴 wui: fennel.
荔 lai: lichee.
药 jeuk: angelica spp leaf; medicine.
荼 tou: a bitter vegetable.
莉 lei: jasmine.
莊 jong: village, ville; surname.
莕 hang: an aquatic plant; Nymphoides peltalum.
莖 geng, hang: stem, stalk.
菐 pou: a thicket.
菖 cheung: calamus, sweet flag.
菳 kam
菽 suk: peas and beans.
萃 seui: dense and close-set.
萊 loi: goosefoot plant; vacant field.
萋 chai: luxuriant of leaves and foliage; densely crowded.
萌 mang: sprout.
萍 ping: duckweed; to wander about.
萎 wai: wilted, withered.
著 jeuk, jyu: to wear. Manifested.
落 lok, laai: fall, drop; income, surplus.
葁 keung: ginger.
葵 kwai: sunflower, mirasol.
葺 chap, jap: fix, repair, thatch. Heap.
蒊
蒙 mung: cover; ignorant; Mongolia.
蒜 suen, syun: garlic.
蒥
蒦 wu, yuek: measure, calculate.
蒻 yuek: reeds and rushes.
蒼 chong: blue-green.
蓄 chuk: store, hoard, gather.
蓉 yung: hibiscus, Chengdu.
蓊 yung: luxuriant foliage and vegetation; lush, verdant.
蓥 ying: polish; gleam.
蓺 ngai: art, talent, ability.
蔑 mit: disdain, despicion.
蔕 dai: plant-stem.
蔥 chung: allium spp, scallions and leeks.
蔻 kau: nutmeg; cardamom.
蔾 lai: brambles.
蕊 jeui: buds, budding flowers; unopened flower buds.
薰 fan: to cauterize. Moxa.
藝 ngai: art, skill, craft. talent.
藟 leui: vine, creeper; to wind.
蘆 lou: rushes, reeds; thatch.
蘇 sou: revive, resurrect; a species of thyme.
蘋 ping: apple.
蘷,虁 kwai: monopedal monster; walrus.
虊 luen
虋 mun: asparagus; a red stalked type of millet.


NOTE: 艸 chou - grass radical

LOOKUP 05142013 A

灼 Jeuk: burn; broil; cauterize; bright.
服 Fuk: clothes; wear, dress.
腰 Yiu: waist; kidney.
翼 Yik: wings; fins on fish; shelter.
酥 Sou: butter; flaky, crispy, light, fluffy.
肚 Tou: belly, bowels.
粘 Nim, Jim: viscous, mucous; glutinous .
碎 Seui: broken, busted.
透 Tau: penetrate, pass through .
錦 Gam: brocade, tapestry.
鲜 Sin: fresh, delicious, attractive.
寛 Guen: broad.
灏 Hou: vast, large, expansive.
瀨 Laai: swift currents, rapids.
鴛鴦 Yin-yeung: mandarin ducks; affectionate couple.
韮: variant of 韭 : 細香蔥 chive.
熟 Suk: well-cooked; ripe; familiar with.
筋 Gan: muscles, tendons.
絫 Leui: (phonetic).
紫 Ji: purple, violet; amethyst; surname.


NOTE: SanSun.