起承轉合

简 起承转合 · 繁 起承轉合
Mandarin · pinyin qǐ chéng zhuǎn hé

Meanings

  1. (idiom) four-part structure of a composition: introduction, elucidation, pivot (shift in perspective), synthesis; (fig.) coherent structural progression in writing, narrative, or any unfolding process
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Characters in this entry

起
qǐ · rise, stand up; go up; begin
承
chéng · inherit, receive; succeed
轉
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合
hé · combine, unite, join; gather
转
zhuǎn · shift, move, turn
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

3–2–3–2 · qi3 cheng2 zhuan3 he2

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

起承轉合 · find source passages ↗ · 起承转合 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

hei2 sing4 zyun3 hap6

Cantonese word readings for 起承轉合. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

  1. (poetry) structure of traditional Chinese poetry: introduction, elucidation, transition and conclusion
  2. (by extension) composition of a piece of literature

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

起承轉合 · qi3 cheng2 zhuan3 he2
CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG · edition 2026-10-13 · source line 104,549
Original dictionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source & transformation details
Exact source record起承轉合 起承转合 [qi3 cheng2 zhuan3 he2] /(idiom) four-part structure of a composition: introduction, elucidation, pivot (shift in perspective), synthesis; (fig.) coherent structural progression in writing, narrative, or any unfolding process/