Spoken Manchu: Describing the Appearance of Nurhaci

Reading a Manchu Passage About the Founder of the Later Jin

By MING YE

Manchu is found not only in archives, palace memorials, and historical documents, but also in complete spoken-style passages that are useful for language learning. The following Manchu text describes the birth, appearance, personality, and abilities of Nurhaci, the founder of the Later Jin and an important figure in early Qing history.

The Latin-script Manchu transliteration is preserved in full below without alteration.

Manchu Text

nikan i daiming gurun i giya jing han i gvsin jakvqi sohon honin aniya taizu han banjiha, tere fonde sara niyalma gisureme, manju gurun de fulingga niyalma tuqifi babai faquhvn be toktobume gurun be dahabufi han tembi sehe, tere gisun be niyalma ulame donjifi bi, bi han ombidere seme mujakv niyalma erenume gvniha,

taizu sure beile mutuha manggi, beye den amban, giranggi muwa, derei fiyan, genggiyen gu i adali, fuqihi xan, funghvwang ni yasa, gisurere jilgan tomorhon bime yargiyan getuken, emgeri donjiha be onggorakv, dartai saha be takambi, tere ilire de ujen jingji, arbun giru geren qi temgetu, muduri tuwara, tasha yabure adali horon mangga, mujilen tondo, kengse lasha, sain be saha de tukiyere be kenehunjerakv, ehe be saha de bederebure be jibgexerakv, qoohai erdemu, gabtara niyamniyara baturu hvsun, jalan qi lakqahabi, arga bodogon xumin, qooha baitalarangge enduri gese, tuttu ofi genggiyen han sehe.

The passage first states that Nurhaci was born during the Jiajing period of the Ming dynasty and includes a traditional historical narrative concerning his birth and future destiny.

The second half focuses on his appearance as an adult.

According to the description, he was tall and powerfully built, with a strong frame, a full and radiant face, a broad forehead, and striking eyes. His voice was deep and clear, and he was said to have an excellent memory, rarely forgetting what he had heard and easily recognizing people he had seen before.

The passage also emphasizes his bearing. When standing, he appeared calm and dignified, and his physical presence was said to stand out among others. His imposing manner is compared to that of a dragon looking outward and a tiger walking.

The text goes beyond physical appearance and also describes Nurhaci's personality and military abilities. He is portrayed as loyal, upright, decisive, and willing to promote capable people without jealousy. He is also described as refusing to retreat in the face of wrongdoing.

In military matters, the passage especially praises his skill in archery, courage, strategic judgment, and ability to command troops. Taken as a whole, the text presents him as a ruler combining imposing appearance, physical strength, bravery, and military intelligence.

Why Is Manchu Well Suited to This Kind of Reading Practice?

The Manchu script was created on the basis of the Jianzhou Jurchen language and developed into an alphabetic writing system with a relatively close relationship between written form and pronunciation.

Qing-period sources frequently commented on this characteristic.

Fuge wrote in Tingyu Congtan:

“The creation of the Manchu script began by using sounds to form writing. A single written element therefore has sound but no meaning; only when elements are joined together do they form words.”

The Imperially Commissioned Comprehensive History of the Eight Banners also states:

“When our state first arose in the eastern lands, the Twelve Syllabic Sections were created to encompass all sounds; later the Qingwen Jian was imperially established, joining written elements into words and embracing all meanings.”

The Qianlong Emperor likewise praised the Manchu Twelve Syllabic Sections in the Veritable Records of the Qing, describing them as concise yet comprehensive and capable of representing a wide range of sounds through combinations of a limited number of letters.

From Old Manchu to the reformed form commonly known as New Manchu, and later through the compilation of works such as the Yuzhi Qingwen Jian and the Yuzhi Zengding Qingwen Jian, Manchu spelling, vocabulary, and written usage gradually developed a relatively mature set of standards.

For this reason, after learners have mastered the Manchu letters and the Twelve Syllabic Sections, an important next step is to begin reading complete sentences and texts.

A passage such as this description of Nurhaci's appearance and character is therefore especially useful. It allows learners not only to study the language itself, but also to approach historical narratives through Manchu.

— MING YE