p8nda
p8nda BETA
Home Dictionary Translate Flashcards

骈文

駢文
piánwén
noun

Meanings

  1. 1 parallel prose
  2. 2 an ornate rhythmic prose style featuring paired four- and six-character phrases, flourishing in the Six Dynasties

Examples

HSK 7-9
骈文讲究对仗工整、声律和谐。
Piánwén jiǎngjiū duìzhàng gōngzhěng, shēnglǜ héxié.
Parallel prose emphasizes neat antithesis and harmonious tonal patterns.
HSK 7-9
王勃的《滕王阁序》是骈文的代表作。
Wáng Bó de 《 Téngwánggé Xù 》 shì piánwén de dàibiǎozuò.
Wang Bo's 'Preface to the Tengwang Pavilion' is a masterpiece of parallel prose.
HSK 7-9
唐代古文运动反对骈文的浮华文风。
Tángdài gǔwén yùndòng fǎnduì piánwén de fúhuá wénfēng.
The Tang-dynasty Classical Prose Movement opposed the ornate style of parallel prose.

Tips

culture
The character 骈 means 'two horses yoked side by side', a perfect image for a prose style built on relentless pairing of phrases. Also called 四六文 (four-six prose) after its typical line lengths.
history
Dominated court writing in the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589) and early Tang. Han Yu and the 古文运动 later attacked it as empty ornamentation and revived plainer pre-Qin prose, though 骈文 never fully disappeared.

Stroke Order

骈 pián
文 wén