Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

four classic novels

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.99 in modern English

Syllables
four -clas-sic nov-els
IPA
27
Scrabble Score
17
Letters
4
Syllables
12
Unique Chars

Meaning

name

The four works of Chinese literature most highly regarded in Chinese literary criticism: the Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong, the Water Margin by Shi Nai'an, the Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en, and the Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin.

Etymology

Calque from Chinese 四大名著 (Sìdàmíngzhù, literally “Four Big Famous Works”)

Questions

What does four classic novels mean?
The four works of Chinese literature most highly regarded in Chinese literary criticism: the Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong, the Water Margin by Shi Nai'an, the Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en, and the Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin.
Where does four classic novels come from?
Calque from Chinese 四大名著 (Sìdàmíngzhù, literally “Four Big Famous Works”)

How to pronounce four classic novels

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “four classic novels”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “four classic novels”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “four classic novels” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.