World of Martial Arts

Jianghu (江湖 jiānghú) – literally translates as “Rivers and Lakes”, but figuratively refers to the “underground world of martial arts”. A section of society consisting of martial artists, gangsters, thieves, beggars, prostitutes, merchants, entertainers, and anyone else wanting to operate outside of mainstream society or in the grey area of the law.

Xia (侠 xiá) – a Hero of the martial world. Righteous, skilled martial artists who follow their own moral code. They often come into conflict with the law, especially in novels where society or the government is depicted as corrupt.

Cultivation World (修真界 xiūzhēn jiè) – not literally a separate world, but rather refers to the broad community of cultivators and their sects/schools/clans/etc… Analogous to the Wulin of martial artists.

Cultivator (修者 xiūzhě) (修士 xiūshì) (修仙者 xiūxiānzhě) – a person who trains in martial & mystical arts, generally in order to become powerful and increase their longevity. Meditation and the cultivation of Qi are common practices among cultivators.

Sect (宗 zōng) (派 pài) – an organization dedicated to the practice of cultivation and/or martial arts. Typically led by a Sect Leader (掌门) or Patriarch (老祖). With the help of Sect Elders (老), they instruct Disciples (弟子) in the proper methods of cultivation or training in the martial arts styles of the Sect. The Disciples live in the Sect, which provides for their daily needs. There is practically always a strict hierarchy amongst members of a Sect, and respect for the elder generations is demanded.

School (门 mén) – a school of cultivation or martial arts. Doesn’t differ much from a Sect.

Clan (家 jiā) – an extended family related by blood, sharing a surname. They often pass down heirlooms from generation to generation along with secret cultivation methods & martial arts styles which were developed by the clan’s ancestors. They tend to guard these jealously from outsiders.

Association (帮 bāng) – also translated as a Gang, Clan, or Brotherhood. A loose organization of people. The members may have something in common, like sharing a particular way of life, or they may simply be working together towards a mutually beneficial goal. Not religious in nature.

Society (會 huì) – a secret society. Similar to Associations for the most part, but cloaked in secrecy and entangled in rituals/traditions. Sometimes religious or cult-like in nature.

Escort Agency (鏢局 biāojú) – a protection agency for hire. They work as bodyguards for people and/or shipments of goods. Commonly seen in Wuxia novels.

Martial Arts Terms

Martial Arts (武功 wǔgōng) – fighting styles & techniques. Also includes physical exercises, methods of mental discipline, and more. Chinese martial arts are commonly referred to as Kung Fu (功夫) or Wushu (武术).

Internal Energy (内力 nèilì) (內劲 nèijìn) – also called Internal Strength / Internal Power / Internal Force. The cultivated energy within a martial artist’s body. Utilizing it, a martial artist can accomplish superhuman feats of speed, agility, strength, endurance, etc… It can even be used to heal wounds and nullify poisons.

Lightness Skill (轻功 qīnggōng) – often left untranslated as “Qinggong”. The ability to lighten the body and move with great agility & swiftness. At high proficiency, practitioners of this skill can run across water, leap to the top of trees, or even glide through the air.

Striking the Meridians / Acupoints (点脉 diǎnmài) (点穴 diǎnxué) – often left untranslated as “Dianmai” and “Dianxue”. Also known as “the Touch of Death” or “Hitting Pressure Points“. Fighting techniques which target the opponent’s meridians and acupoints in order to kill, cripple, immobilize, or control the opponent.

Cultivation World

Cultivation (修炼 xiūliàn) (修真 xiūzhēn) (修仙 xiūxiān) – the process of improving health, increasing longevity, and growing powerful. This is accomplished by cultivating Qi and training in martial & mystical arts. In many of these novels, the ultimate goal of cultivation is to become an Immortal or attain godhood.

Cultivation Method (功法 gōngfǎ) (心法 xīnfǎ) – a mystical art or collection of techniques which cultivators practice in order to cultivate. Related: Qigong (气功)

Cultivation Base (修为 xiūwéi) – the amount and capacity of refined Qi possessed by a cultivator.

Manual (秘笈 mìjí) – a book containing detailed instructions on training in a cultivation method or martial arts style. Usually regarded as extremely valuable and thus kept secret (or at least, not made publicly available).

Spiritual Root (灵根 línggēn) – the root of life. Figuratively: the very foundation of one’s body and soul. Cultivation usually requires some minimum level of innate talent, so someone with bad luck or a poor bodily constitution may find it impossible to even take the first step. In some novels, the quality of a person’s Spiritual Root can be tested to determine if they have the talent needed to cultivate. Rare individuals may even have special Spiritual Roots which allow them to cultivate quickly or grant them other benefits.

Dantian (丹田 dāntián) – literally translates as “Cinnabar Field” or “Elixir Field”. Refers to the region in the body where a person’s Qi is concentrated. There are technically three dantians, but these novels simplify the concept and only use the lower dantian (located three finger widths below and two finger widths behind the navel).

Meridians (经脉 jīngmài) – the network of vessels/channels in the body through which Qi flows. Like blood vessels, but for Qi instead of blood.

Qi Circulation (行气 xíngqì) – the act of controlling Qi to flow from the dantian, through the meridians, and back into the dantian in a cycle. The purpose of this varies between novels, but usually it helps replenish stamina, purify the Qi, or strengthen the meridians.

Breathing Exercises (吐纳 tùnà) – also known as Tu Na Breathing. A special way of breathing which expels the turbid Qi within the body and draws in the Qi of the natural world. An essential part of cultivation.

Meditation (冥想 míngxiǎng) – a practice for training or calming the mind and spirit. Cultivators spend a great deal of time in meditation, as both the cultivation of Qi and contemplation of Insights generally require it.

Insight (参悟 cānwù) (顿悟 dùnwù) – related to enlightenment. Cultivators usually gain insights by meditating, engaging in life-or-death battles, or going out into the world to experience new things. These insights are often needed in order to master techniques or advance to higher stages of cultivation.

Internal Demons (心魔 xīnmó) – literally translates as “Heart Devils”. Rather than standard demons or devils, these are a practitioner’s negative emotions and other mental barriers which hinder their training/cultivation. Internal Demons, in some cases, can even attack the practitioner from the inside, and failure to adequately resist them may result in Qi Deviation.

Qi Deviation (走火入魔 zǒuhuǒ rùmó) – also known as Qigong Deviation. Literally translates as “to catch fire and be entered [possessed] by devils”. A state wherein the cultivation base becomes dangerously unstable, causing internal damage to the body and symptoms of psychosis. People who succumb to their Internal Demons, who practice cultivation/martial arts incorrectly, or who rashly use forbidden arts are all at risk of falling into this state.

Bottleneck (瓶颈 píngjǐng) – the term for when cultivators figuratively hit a wall in their training and it suddenly becomes incredibly difficult to proceed. When they reach a bottleneck, cultivators may require new Insights, the aid of medicinal pills, or even harsher training in order to make a Breakthrough (突破 tūpò) and successfully bypass the bottleneck.

Impurities (杂质 zázhì) – usually described as a smelly, black substance which is secreted from a cultivator’s skin when they reach new cultivation stages or consume special medicinal pills. The result of the body purifying itself and expelling the waste.

Ranks / Levels / Layers (级 jí) (层 céng) – a common way to quantify martial power or the progress made in cultivation. In many cases (although not all) where these are used, there are 9 ranks/levels/layers to each stage of cultivation, with rank 1 being the start and rank 9 being the peak. After breaking through to the next stage, the practitioner starts at rank 1 of that new stage. The “9” levels are a parallel to the Nine Heavens, and there’s other symbolism as well.

Houtian & Xiantian (后天 hòutiān / 先天 xiāntiān) – the names of two cultivation stages which appear in several novels, with the Houtian stage preceding the Xiantian stage. Houtian can mean Posterior Heaven / Postcelestial / Acquired. Xiantian can mean Anterior Heaven / Precelestial / Innate. Very roughly, the idea is that something “Xiantian” is primordial and thus close to the Dao, while something “Houtian” is degraded or further away from the Dao.

Qi Condensation (凝气 níngqì) – also known as Qi Refining (炼气 liànqì) or Qi Gathering (聚气 jùqì). An initial stage of cultivation which involves absorbing Qi from the natural world and refining it inside the body.

Foundation Establishment (筑基 zhùjī) – also translated as Foundation Building. The stage after Qi Condensation. Once a cultivator’s Qi crosses a certain threshold (in the volume and/or density of the Qi), they’ll be able to breakthrough to this stage.

Core Formation (结丹 jiēdān) – sometimes left untranslated as “Jiedan”. The stage after Foundation Establishment. It involves forming a Gold Core (金丹 jīndān) by using the Dantian as a crucible and the Cultivation Base as raw material.

Nascent Soul (元婴 yuányīng) – sometimes left untranslated as “Yuanying”. Literally translates as “Origin Infant”. The stage after Core Formation (in some novels). The Nascent Soul resembles an infant or miniature person and resides in the Dantian, typically sitting in a meditative position. In some novels, the Nascent Soul can travel outside the body and is like a second life for cultivators – if their main body dies, their consciousness can continue to exist in the Nascent Soul.

Immortal Ascension (成仙 chéngxiān) – the stage wherein the cultivator becomes a Daoist Immortal. There are many differences between novels, but usually the cultivation/maturation of the Gold Core or Nascent Soul plays a key role in ascending to Immortality.

Alchemy Terms

Alchemy (丹道 dāndào) (外丹 wàidān) – the refining of plants, minerals, and other substances into medicinal pills & elixirs. In these novels, Alchemists (丹师) are essentially pharmacists who work with magical materials and make miracle drugs.

Cauldrons & Pill Furnaces (鼎 dǐng) (丹炉 dānlú) – the tools alchemists use to produce medicinal pills & elixirs.

Medicinal Pills & Elixirs (丹药 dānyào) – miracle drugs which can have all sorts of effects. Often taken to boost cultivation, heal wounds, cure poisons, purify or strengthen the body, and much much more.

Medicinal Plants / Herbs (药草 yàocǎo) – a generic term for any kind of plant which can be used by alchemists to make poisons or medicinal pills & elixirs. Older medicinal plants (100-year, 1000-year, etc…) are generally considered to be more potent. Ginseng (参) & Lingzhi Mushrooms (灵芝) appear quite often in these novels, where they’re claimed to have great medicinal qualities.

Spiritual Plants / Herbs (灵草 língcǎo) – also called Spirit Grass. A magic plant which has absorbed spiritual energy from the natural world and is highly sought after by both cultivators and alchemists alike. Usually either eaten to absorb the spiritual energy it contains or refined into spirit medicines.

Items & Weapons

Magic Treasures (法宝 fǎbǎo) – also translated as Magical Items. A generic term which encompasses all of the magic weapons/ clothing/ trinkets/ talismans/etc… which cultivators make and use.

Spirit Stones (灵石 língshí) – translucent crystals with spiritual energy trapped within. Mainly used as currency amongst cultivators. They can also be used to cultivate (by absorbing the spiritual energy), create magical items, or power spell formations.

Flying Sword (飞剑 fēijiàn) – a magic sword which can fly through the air and can be directed to engage in long-range attacks. Perhaps the most iconic cultivator weapon. In some novels, cultivators stand atop their flying swords and ride them as a form of transportation.

Interspatial Ring (空间戒指 kōngjiān jièzhi) – a magic ring with a pocket dimension inside it. With a mere thought, the owner can store items inside it and retrieve them at will. Depending on the novel, there may be some restrictions – for example, the size of the storage space might be limited or the ring might only be capable of storing certain types of items.

Talisman (符 fú) – sometimes translated as a Seal. A strip of paper with mystical diagrams & calligraphy drawn on it. In these novels, they’re essentially consumable spells. (When activated, they cast a spell and will disintegrate once their magic is depleted.)

Jade Slip (玉简 yùjiǎn) – a long, narrow strip of jade used as a magical item. A cultivator can magically store information inside it, and other cultivators can then use that Jade Slip to directly transmit the stored information into their minds. Based on the Bamboo Slips used in ancient China.

Hidden Weapons (暗器 ànqì) – weapons that are concealed in some way (often hidden in the owner’s clothing). Their use and effectiveness relies heavily on the element of surprise. Poisoned projectiles (darts/needles/etc) are an especially popular type of hidden weapon. But in the hands of a hidden weapons expert, almost anything can be lethal – in Wuxia novels, even things like abaci, coins, chopsticks, and musical instruments are used as hidden weapons.

The Four Major Weapons

Miscellaneous Terms

Heavenly Tribulation (天劫 tiānjié) (重劫 zhòngjié) – in some novels, a trial encountered by cultivators at key points in their cultivation, which they must resist and ultimately transcend. Because immortal cultivation (generally) goes against the Will of Heaven, the Heavens will send down tribulations to oppress high-level cultivators who make progress towards Immortality, often right when they enter a new cultivation stage. This typically takes the form of a lightning storm, with extraordinarily powerful bolts of lightning raining down from the Heavens to strike at the cultivator.

Eight Trigrams (八卦 bāguà) – often left untranslated as the “Bagua”. Thought to represent the fundamental principles of reality. In real life, it’s used in fortune-telling. In these novels, it’s mainly only mentioned in passing. For example, a battle formation or martial arts move might have the “Eight Trigrams” in its name

Feng Shui (风水 fēngshuǐ) – literally translates as “Wind Water”. A form of traditional Chinese divination/fortune-telling, often performed using the Eight Trigrams and a Feng Shui compass (罗盘 luópán). In these novels, it’s mainly only mentioned in passing.

Formations (阵 zhèn) (阵法 zhènfǎ) – divided into battle formations and spell formations, although they are often just called “formations”. Battle formations are “fantasy-fied” tactical formations used by several cultivators or martial artists attacking in concert. Spell formations are also called Arrays. They’re essentially magic circles which cast a continuous area-of-effect spell on the location the formation encompasses.

Spiritual Sense (灵识 língshí) – also known as Divine Sense (神识 shénshí). An ability possessed by cultivators to scan their surroundings (far beyond the limits of their ordinary 5 senses) with their spirit. The distance/total area they can scan corresponds to the strength of their spirit. Also used in some novels to remotely control magical items such as Flying Swords.

Essence (精 jīng) – basically “lifeblood”. Some secret/forbidden techniques require cultivators to expend their Essence, shortening their lifespan as a result.

Robes (袍 páo) – the characters in these novels usually wear robes, as was the norm in ancient China. Cultivators and martial artists are often said to wear Tang suits (唐装) or Scholar / Daoist robes (道袍).

Face (面子 miànzi) – a person’s reputation in society and amongst their peers. If someone “has face” (有面子), they have a good reputation. If they “have no face” (没面子), then they have a bad reputation. “Giving face” (给面子) to someone means to defer to or pay homage to them. “Losing face” (丢脸) means that a person has hurt their reputation. “Not wanting face” (不要脸) means that a person is acting shamelessly, in a way that suggests they don’t care about hurting their reputation.

Kowtow (叩头 kòutóu) – an act of deep respect shown by prostration. The highest sign of reverence in Chinese culture. It involves kneeling and bowing so low as to have one’s head touching the ground. The person kowtowing may also knock their head repeatedly against the ground (to the point of injury), especially when they’re desperately pleading for something or wish to show their utmost sincerity.

Clasping Hands (抱拳 bàoquán) – also known as Baoquan, the Kung Fu Salute, “Cupping Hands”, or “Cupped Fist”. A respectful salute/greeting which originated among martial artists.

Pavilion (阁 gé) (亭 tíng) – a type of building. The pavilions in these novels probably look more like this, rather than this.

Pagoda (塔 tǎ) – a tiered tower with multiple, prominent eaves. Often has a religious function or is considered sacred.

Immortal’s Cave (洞府 dòngfǔ) – the abode of a cultivator. Often high up in the mountains in a cave where spiritual energy is abundant. Similar to Grottoes.

Fairy (仙女 xiānnǚ) (仙子 xiānzǐ) – a term used to describe a woman of other worldly beauty.

Lotus Flower (莲花 liánhuā) – symbolizes purity & enlightenment in Chinese culture. Appears quite often in these novels.

Incense (香 xiāng) – aromatic material which releases fragrant smoke when burned. Used in religious ceremonies, to aid in meditation, and in many other cultural activities. Incense Sticks (or Joss Sticks) are frequently mentioned in these novels.

Hand-seals (掐诀 qiājué) – also translated as Incantation Gestures. Daoist hand and finger gestures performed to cast spells.

Sword-light (剑光 jiànguāng) – a dazzling, powerful energy attack released from the edge of a blade. Generally requires a deep mastery of swordsmanship to perform.

Refining (炼 liàn) – a term which appears extremely frequently. Cultivators sometimes seem obsessed with refining just about everything – pills, treasures, Qi, and even themselves! This stems from Chinese alchemy, where it was believed that materials which underwent multiple refinements would gain spiritual value and slowly grow closer to the Dao and perfection.

Killing Intent (煞气 shàqì) – a murderous aura which emits from a person when they desire to harm someone. People who have experienced bloody battles and/or have already killed others tend to have much stronger Killing Intent than an ordinary person. Experts may be able to disguise their Killing Intent, as well as intentionally release it as a form of me