Cửu kinh

Definition
  1. Proper Noun:
    • The Nine Classics: The collective term for the nine canonical texts of Confucianism, which form the core of traditional Chinese philosophical and ethical education. These texts were the basis for the imperial examination system in historical East Asia.
Usage Examples
  • Proper Noun:
    • Các học giả Nho giáo phải thông thạo Cửu kinh. (Confucian scholars had to master the Nine Classics.)
    • Cửu kinh có ảnh hưởng sâu sắc đến văn hóa Việt Nam thời phong kiến. (The Nine Classics had a profound influence on Vietnamese culture during the feudal period.)
Advanced Usage
  • The term is used in historical, academic, and cultural discussions to refer to the foundational corpus of Confucian thought.
  • "Tinh thông Cửu kinh": to be thoroughly proficient in the Nine Classics; a phrase describing a scholar of great erudition.
    • Ông ấy được ca ngợi là một bậc thầy tinh thông Cửu kinh. (He was praised as a master thoroughly proficient in the Nine Classics.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Ngũ kinh (n): The Five Classics. An earlier, core subset of the Confucian classics, often mentioned alongside or as part of the Nine Classics.
    • Ngũ kinh bao gồm Kinh Thi, Kinh Thư, Kinh Lễ, Kinh Dịch, và Kinh Xuân Thu. (The Five Classics include the Classic of Poetry, Book of Documents, Book of Rites, Classic of Changes, and Spring and Autumn Annals.)
The Nine Classics (List)

The standard composition includes: 1. Kinh Dịch (Classic of Changes / I Ching) 2. Kinh Thư (Book of Documents / Classic of History) 3. Kinh Thi (Classic of Poetry / Book of Songs) 4. Kinh Lễ (Book of Rites) 5. Chu Lễ (Rites of Zhou) – sometimes included. 6. Nghi Lễ (Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial) – sometimes included. 7. Xuân Thu (Spring and Autumn Annals) 8. Hiếu Kinh (Classic of Filial Piety) 9. Luận Ngữ (Analects of Confucius) (Note: Slight variations in the list exist between different historical traditions. The reference definition combines some texts and includes *Mạnh Tử (Mencius), Đại học (Great Learning), and Trung dung (Doctrine of the Mean), which are often categorized as part of the Four Books alongside the Classics.)*

Synonyms
  • Confucian Classics: The canonical texts of Confucianism.
  • Nine Confucian Canons: A formal synonym for the Nine Classics.
Related Concepts
  • Tứ thư (n): The Four Books. Another essential Confucian collection, which includes the , , , and . These were often studied together with the Five/Nine Classics.
  • Nho học (n): Confucian studies or Confucianism.
  • Khoa cử (n): The imperial examination system, for which the Nine Classics were the primary curriculum.