漢詩(かんし)

かんし
noun
Chinese poetry, kanshi
academicart
See also: 監視(かんし) (surveillance (homophone))
1. Chinese poetry, Chinese-style verse
Poetry written in classical Chinese, including works by Chinese poets and poems composed in classical Chinese by Japanese poets. A major literary tradition studied in Japanese education.
漢詩(かんし)を暗唱(あんしょう)する。
I recite Chinese poetry from memory.
高校(こうこう)の国語(こくご)で漢詩(かんし)を習(なら)った。
I studied Chinese poetry in high school Japanese class.
李白(りはく)や杜甫(とほ)の漢詩(かんし)は日本(にほん)でも広(ひろ)く親(した)しまれている。
The Chinese poetry of Li Bai and Du Fu is widely appreciated in Japan as well.

Usage

漢詩(かんし) is part of the Japanese school curriculum and is studied in 国語(こくご) (Japanese language) class, not as a foreign language. Classical Chinese poems are read using 訓読(くんどく)み (Japanese reading of Chinese text), which rearranges the word order and adds Japanese grammatical particles.

Japanese scholars and poets also composed their own 漢詩(かんし) throughout history, particularly during the Heian and Edo periods.

Do not confuse with the homophone 監視(かんし) (surveillance), which uses different kanji.

Common collocations

  • 漢詩(かんし)を詠(よ)む: to compose Chinese poetry
  • 漢詩(かんし)を読(よ)む: to read Chinese poetry
  • 唐(とう)の漢詩(かんし): Tang dynasty Chinese poetry

Related Words

Compare: 律詩(りっし) (regulated verse (a traditional Chinese poetic form))
Related: 吟詠(ぎんえい) (chanting of poetry)
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Added 2026.2.24 21:44 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
13000/13438_kanshi