商朝
shāng cháo
The phrase shang dynasty in Chinese is translated as 商朝 (shāng cháo).
商朝 refers to the name of the ancient dynasty that ruled parts of China during the Bronze Age.
What does it mean word for word?
The term consists of 商 (shāng), which is the name of the dynasty and 朝 (cháo), meaning 'dynasty' or 'court'.
Which one should you use?
While 商朝 is the standard name for the dynasty, you can also use the synonym 商代 (shāng dài) to refer more broadly to the Shang period or era.
How does it change in a sentence?
商朝 is a noun phrase that can function as a subject or an object in a sentence without needing additional particles for its meaning.
How do you pronounce it?
shāng cháo
Did you know?
- The word 商 (shāng) also represents one of the five notes in the traditional Chinese musical scale. In this context, it is associated with the autumn season and the element of metal.
- While the English 'dynasty' focuses on a bloodline, the character 朝 (cháo) originally referred to the 'court audience' held at dawn. It describes the physical gathering of officials to face the ruler.
- The character 商 (shāng) is used today in the word 商场 (shāng chǎng) for 'shopping mall'. This links the ancient dynasty's name to modern commerce.
Examples in context
- 在商朝，貝朋為通用貨幣。Seashells were the legal tender in the Shang dynasty.This sentence is useful for illustrating how seashells were used as currency during the 商朝.Tatoeba #6039669 by xjjAstrus, translation #8732707 by Ada_Virus
- 你知道商朝的历史吗？Do you know the history of the Shang Dynasty?
- 商代是中国历史上重要的朝代之一。The Shang Dynasty is one of the important dynasties in Chinese history.
- 商朝的歷史非常悠久。Shāngcháo de lìshǐ fēicháng yōujiǔ.The history of the Shang Dynasty is very long.
- 他在研究商朝的青銅器。Tā zài yánjiū Shāngcháo de qīngtóngqì.He is studying Shang Dynasty bronze ware.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a history museum visit.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你對商朝感興趣嗎？Nǐ duì Shāngcháo gǎn xìngqù ma?Are you interested in the Shang Dynasty?
- 志强 Zhiqiang我很感興趣，尤其是那時的文物。Wǒ hěn gǎn xìngqù, yóuqí shì nà shí de wénwù.I am very interested, especially the artifacts from that time.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那我們明天去博物館吧。Nà wǒmen míngtiān qù bówùguǎn ba.Then let's go to the museum tomorrow.
- 志强 Zhiqiang好啊，我也想去看看。Hǎo a, wǒ yě xiǎng qù kàn kàn.Sure, I want to go and see it too.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
