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I decided to make a thread about the terms used in #MoDaoZuShi and other #MoXiangTongXiu novels that one may or may not be familiar with.
-阿 (a) at the beginning of someone’s one-syllable name shows endearment
(e.g. ‘A-Xian’)
-百姓 (bai-xing) commoners
-伯父 (bo-fu) archaic/formal way of calling eldest paternal uncle; father’s oldest brother
-不夜天城 (bu-ye-tian-cheng) The Nightless City
(e.g. ‘A-Xian’)
-百姓 (bai-xing) commoners
-伯父 (bo-fu) archaic/formal way of calling eldest paternal uncle; father’s oldest brother
-不夜天城 (bu-ye-tian-cheng) The Nightless City
-大 (da) big, but when put before a title, or family member’s title means ‘oldest’
(e.g. Oldest Brother大哥 ‘da-ge’. The ones that come after that can be numbered, as if 大 is ‘one’, so; Second Older Brother 二哥 ‘er-ge’, Third Older Brother 三哥 ‘san-ge’. Like 3zun.)
(e.g. Oldest Brother大哥 ‘da-ge’. The ones that come after that can be numbered, as if 大 is ‘one’, so; Second Older Brother 二哥 ‘er-ge’, Third Older Brother 三哥 ‘san-ge’. Like 3zun.)
-大大 (da-da) ‘big brother’ in Gusu dialect (it’s so cute!)
-大嫂 (da-sao) older brother’s wife; sister-in-law
-大小姐 (da-xiao-jie) young mistress
(e.g. What Jin Ling is called by Lan Jingyi)
-道友 (dao-you) ‘friend on the Path’ – a Daoist/cultivator
-大嫂 (da-sao) older brother’s wife; sister-in-law
-大小姐 (da-xiao-jie) young mistress
(e.g. What Jin Ling is called by Lan Jingyi)
-道友 (dao-you) ‘friend on the Path’ – a Daoist/cultivator
-道长 (dao-zhang) ‘Daoist priest’, but in cultivation novels more of a blanket title to refer to cultivators
(e.g. This term is used most during the Yi City arc to refer to both Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan – but it could be used as a term of respect to any cultivator)
(e.g. This term is used most during the Yi City arc to refer to both Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan – but it could be used as a term of respect to any cultivator)
-弟子 (di-zi) disciple
-儿 (er) at the end of someone’s one-syllable name, it’s a term of endearment, similar to the 阿 prefix
(e.g. ‘Chao-er’)
-儿 (er) at the end of someone’s one-syllable name, it’s a term of endearment, similar to the 阿 prefix
(e.g. ‘Chao-er’)
-夫人 (fu-ren) madam; usually prefixed with the husband’s surname of a married woman of high status
(e.g. Madam Lan 蓝夫人 ‘Lan-furen’, Qingheng-Jun’s wife. Madam Yu 虞夫人 ‘Yu-furen’. The fact that she isn’t called ‘Madam Jiang’ after her husband shows strength of character.)
(e.g. Madam Lan 蓝夫人 ‘Lan-furen’, Qingheng-Jun’s wife. Madam Yu 虞夫人 ‘Yu-furen’. The fact that she isn’t called ‘Madam Jiang’ after her husband shows strength of character.)
-哥哥 (ge-ge) big brother; more causal and used by smaller children. Most people call their older brother simply 哥 ‘ge’.
(but can also be utilized in a flirty way, e.g. Wei Wuxian calling Lan Wangji蓝二哥哥 ‘Lan-er-ge-ge’)
-公子 (gong-zi) young master
(e.g. ‘Jin-gongzi’)
(but can also be utilized in a flirty way, e.g. Wei Wuxian calling Lan Wangji蓝二哥哥 ‘Lan-er-ge-ge’)
-公子 (gong-zi) young master
(e.g. ‘Jin-gongzi’)
-姑娘 (gu-niang) maiden/young lady, like the female version of ‘gongzi’
(e.g. ‘Jiang-guniang’)
-姑苏 (Gu-su) Gusu
(e.g. ‘Jiang-guniang’)
-姑苏 (Gu-su) Gusu
-红尘 (hong-chen) literally means ‘red dust’, but means something along the lines of ‘the dusty mortal world’, all the mortal attachments that one must leave behind if they wish to become enlightened; something quite melancholy
-江 (Jiang) the surname Jiang, also means ‘large river’
-江湖 (jiang-hu) the pugilist world, where the cultivators rule, but literally means ‘rivers and lakes’
-江湖 (jiang-hu) the pugilist world, where the cultivators rule, but literally means ‘rivers and lakes’
-姐姐 (jie-jie) big sister; more casual and used by smaller children. Most people call their older sister simply 姐 ‘jie’. Jiang Cheng calls his sister 啊姐 ‘A-Jie’ as a term of affection.
-金 (Jin) the surname Jin, also means ‘gold’
-金 (Jin) the surname Jin, also means ‘gold’
-金陵台 (Jin-ling-tai) Translated as 'Koi Tower' for some reason in English? (why???) It’s more like ‘Golden Hill Terrace’.
(But it's not the same 'ling' 陵 as with the character Jin Ling 金凌)
-舅舅 (jiu-jiu) maternal uncle
(e.g. what Jin Ling calls Jiang Cheng)
(But it's not the same 'ling' 陵 as with the character Jin Ling 金凌)
-舅舅 (jiu-jiu) maternal uncle
(e.g. what Jin Ling calls Jiang Cheng)
-蓝 (Lan) Surname Lan, also means ‘blue’
-兰陵 (Lan-ling) Lanling
-莲花坞 (lian-hua-wu) Lotus Pier
-乱葬岗 (luan-zang-gang) The Burial Mounds
-兰陵 (Lan-ling) Lanling
-莲花坞 (lian-hua-wu) Lotus Pier
-乱葬岗 (luan-zang-gang) The Burial Mounds
-某 (mou) after one’s surname, a formal way to refer to themselves – the way the sect leaders refer to themselves when they talk to each other
(e.g. “金某,” Jin-mou “蓝某,” Lan-mou etc.)
-聂 (Nie) Surname Nie, also means ‘to whisper’
-清河 (Qing-he) Qinghe
(e.g. “金某,” Jin-mou “蓝某,” Lan-mou etc.)
-聂 (Nie) Surname Nie, also means ‘to whisper’
-清河 (Qing-he) Qinghe
-青楼 (qing-lou) brothel/pleasure quarters; 青 means ‘green’, and 楼 means ‘multi-story building’
-岐山 (Qi-shan) Qishan
-氏 (shi) Means ‘clan’, in MoDao’s case: ‘Sect’
(e.g. Gusu Lan Sect 姑苏蓝氏, Yunmeng Jiang Sect 云梦江氏, Qinghe Nie Sect 清河聂氏, etc.)
-岐山 (Qi-shan) Qishan
-氏 (shi) Means ‘clan’, in MoDao’s case: ‘Sect’
(e.g. Gusu Lan Sect 姑苏蓝氏, Yunmeng Jiang Sect 云梦江氏, Qinghe Nie Sect 清河聂氏, etc.)
-师伯 (shi-bo) older martial uncle
-师弟 (shi-di) younger disciple brother
(e.g. What Jiang Cheng is to Wei Wuxian)
-师父 (shi-fu) teacher, master – the 父 character means ‘father’. The disciple is living within the master’s house. Implies more care for individual students.
-师弟 (shi-di) younger disciple brother
(e.g. What Jiang Cheng is to Wei Wuxian)
-师父 (shi-fu) teacher, master – the 父 character means ‘father’. The disciple is living within the master’s house. Implies more care for individual students.
-师姑 (shi-gu) martial aunt
(e.g. What Qi Qingqi is to Luo Binghe.)
-师姐 (shi-jie) older disciple sister
(e.g. What Wei Wuxian calls Jiang Yanli)
-师妹 (shi-mei) younger disciple sister
-师母 (shi-mu) teacher/master’s wife – the 母 character means ‘mother’
(e.g. What Qi Qingqi is to Luo Binghe.)
-师姐 (shi-jie) older disciple sister
(e.g. What Wei Wuxian calls Jiang Yanli)
-师妹 (shi-mei) younger disciple sister
-师母 (shi-mu) teacher/master’s wife – the 母 character means ‘mother’
-师叔 (shi-shu) younger martial uncle
(e.g. What Liu Qingge is to Luo Binghe)
-师兄 (shi-xiong) older disciple brother
(e.g. What Wei Wuxian is to Jiang Cheng)
-师丈 (shi-zhang) teacher/master’s husband
(e.g. What Liu Qingge is to Luo Binghe)
-师兄 (shi-xiong) older disciple brother
(e.g. What Wei Wuxian is to Jiang Cheng)
-师丈 (shi-zhang) teacher/master’s husband
-师尊 (shi-zun) teacher/master – but in a different way from 师父 ‘shi fu’ – it implies more distance, and the disciple doesn’t necessarily live with him.
(e.g. What Shen Qingqiu is to Luo Binghe)
(e.g. What Shen Qingqiu is to Luo Binghe)
-叔父 (shu-fu) more archaic/formal way of calling paternal uncle; the father’s younger brother
(e.g. Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji call Lan Qiren this)
(e.g. Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji call Lan Qiren this)
-叔叔 (shu-shu) paternal uncle; the father’s younger brother – but also something that Chinese kids would call a male friend of the family, or a man they don’t know – sometimes added behind the person’s surname
(e.g. Wei Wuxian calls Jiang Fengmian ‘Jiang-shu-shu’)
(e.g. Wei Wuxian calls Jiang Fengmian ‘Jiang-shu-shu’)
-天下 (tian-xia) literally means ‘under the heavens’ – has a meaning of ‘the realm’ or ‘everything’, generally quite a lofty concept
-徒儿 (tu-er) disciple/apprentice
-徒弟 (tu-di) disciple/apprentice. 弟 means younger brother
-温 (Wen) Surname Wen, also means ‘warm’
-徒儿 (tu-er) disciple/apprentice
-徒弟 (tu-di) disciple/apprentice. 弟 means younger brother
-温 (Wen) Surname Wen, also means ‘warm’
-仙督 (xian-du) literally means 'fairy/immortal/cultivator supervisor', but is more along the lines of 'Head Cultivator'
(e.g. this is the title Jin Guangyao got, and I've only seen it in MoDao)
(e.g. this is the title Jin Guangyao got, and I've only seen it in MoDao)
-先生 (xian-sheng) can mean ‘teacher’, ‘mister’, even ‘doctor’
(e.g. Lan Qiren gets called this by the disciples)
-仙师 (xian-shi) refers to cultivators politely. 仙 can mean from 'immortal' to 'cultivator' to 'fairy'
(e.g. Jin Ling's dog Fairy 仙子 ‘xian-zi’)
(e.g. Lan Qiren gets called this by the disciples)
-仙师 (xian-shi) refers to cultivators politely. 仙 can mean from 'immortal' to 'cultivator' to 'fairy'
(e.g. Jin Ling's dog Fairy 仙子 ‘xian-zi’)
-小 (xiao) literally means small, but used before someone’s name, it’s endearment. If put befoer a familial or similar title, eg. 小师妹 'little disciple sister' it can mean that this is the youngest of all the disciple sisters, not that you are referring affectionately to her.
-兄 (xiong) older brother; add to the end of his name respectfully when he's older than you not by a lot. Used in martial arts or cultivation context, it is to a peer, who will also call you this.
(e.g. Nie Huaisang & Jiang Cheng called each other ‘Jiang-xiong’ and ‘Nie-xiong’.)
(e.g. Nie Huaisang & Jiang Cheng called each other ‘Jiang-xiong’ and ‘Nie-xiong’.)
-凶尸 (xiong-shi) is the 'fierce corpse' not-a-zombie demonic cultivation product of the MoDao universe
-兄长 (xiong-zhang) older brother
(e.g. in the novel, Lan Wangji calls Lan Xichen this.)
-兄长 (xiong-zhang) older brother
(e.g. in the novel, Lan Wangji calls Lan Xichen this.)
-修士 (xiu-shi) this literally means ‘monk’, but in the world of MoDao, people mean ‘cultivator’ when they say this
-义城 (yi-cheng) Yi City
-夷陵老祖 (yi-ling-lao-zu) The Yiling Patriarch
-云梦 (Yun-meng) Yunmeng
-云深不知处 (yun-shen-bu-zhi-chu) The Cloud Recesses
-义城 (yi-cheng) Yi City
-夷陵老祖 (yi-ling-lao-zu) The Yiling Patriarch
-云梦 (Yun-meng) Yunmeng
-云深不知处 (yun-shen-bu-zhi-chu) The Cloud Recesses
-知己 (zhi-ji) intimate friend/confidant/soulmate. Someone who knows and understands you deeply.
here’s a link that goes in depth on this: https://hunxi-guilai.tumblr.com/post/612161034673946624/all-right-guys-lets-have-a-conversation-about
here’s a link that goes in depth on this: https://hunxi-guilai.tumblr.com/post/612161034673946624/all-right-guys-lets-have-a-conversation-about
-宗主 (zong-zhu) leader, used as ‘Sect Leader’
(e.g. Sect Leader Jiang 江宗主, Sect Leader Jin 金宗主, Sect Leader Nie 聂宗主, etc.)
(e.g. Sect Leader Jiang 江宗主, Sect Leader Jin 金宗主, Sect Leader Nie 聂宗主, etc.)
