Meanings
proper noun
- literatureThe 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.
Origin
Calque from Chinese 四大名著 (Sìdàmíngzhù, literally “Four Big Famous Works”)
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Cantonese 四大名著
- 四大名著 (sei³ daai⁶ ming⁴ zyu³)the four works of Chinese literature most highly regarded in Chinese literary criticism
Chinese Mandarin 四大名著
- 四大名著 (Sì Dà Míngzhù)the four works of Chinese literature most highly regarded in Chinese literary criticism
Vietnamese Tứ đại danh tác
- Tứ đại danh tácthe four works of Chinese literature most highly regarded in Chinese literary criticism
Cite this entry
APA
Four Classic Novels. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Four%20Classic%20Novels
MLA
“Four Classic Novels.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Four%20Classic%20Novels. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Four Classic Novels,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Four%20Classic%20Novels.
Source: Four Classic Novels on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.