Shiji AI: Classical Chinese

Learn classical Chinese by reading the greatest source there is - the 史記 (Records of the Grand Historian) by Sima Qian. This is a classical Chinese reader built for real understanding: read each sentence beside its modern Chinese (白话) translation, double-tap any sentence for its explanation, ask the AI anything about a passage, and read all 130 chapters offline.

Whether you are learning classical Chinese (文言文 / 古文) from scratch or a history enthusiast, Shiji AI turns a dense ancient text into something you can actually read.

The 史記, written by Sima Qian (司馬遷) around 94 BCE, covers 2,500 years of Chinese history to the Han Dynasty. It is core reading in the classical Chinese and 漢文 curriculum.

FEATURES

Full text of the 史記, offline
All 130 chapters across the five classic categories - 本紀 (Basic Annals), 表 (Tables), 書 (Treatises), 世家 (Hereditary Houses), and 列傳 (Biographies) - each opening with its full name, readable anywhere with no connection.

Double-tap to explain, one sentence at a time
Double-tap any sentence to see its explanation in a panel while the sentence stays marked on the page. Previous and Next carry you through the whole chapter without leaving the text.

Original and translation, sentence by sentence
Turn on the translation and every line of classical Chinese is followed by its rendering in modern Chinese (白话), so word order and usage are easy to compare. The translations are in Chinese, not English.

Hide the translation and test yourself
Read the original first, then check: with translations hidden, double-tap the space under a sentence to show it, or hold to preview them all until you lift your finger.

Ask the AI anything
Have a question about a passage, a historical figure, or a cultural reference? The built-in AI chat gives contextual answers grounded in the exact text you are reading.

Focus mode
A silk-scroll vertical 直書 layout with the original text only, the way the text was meant to be read.

Four ways to browse 130 chapters
A linear List, a radial Constellation, an imperial-spine Timeline, and a family tree of the thirty Hereditary Houses.

Highlights, notes, and progress
Mark passages, add notes, and pick up where you left off. Optional cloud sync keeps progress and notes across devices and stays local-first: reading, highlights, and notes work without an account; AI questions need sign-in.

English, Simplified, and Traditional Chinese, plus a lacquer dark theme
Use the app in English, Simplified Chinese, or Traditional Chinese, with a warm ivory-on-black-brown night theme for easy evening reading.

WHO IT IS FOR
- Learners of classical Chinese (文言文 / 古文) who read modern Chinese and want a real reader, not a dictionary
- Heritage Chinese speakers reconnecting with their roots
- Students and readers of Chinese history and the Han Dynasty

Start reading the Records of the Grand Historian today - one sentence at a time.

Recent changes:
Fixes:
• Reviewed the modern Chinese translation of all 130 chapters, revising over 4,000 sentences
• Corrected over 1,200 sentences of the original text against the Zhonghua Book Company edition
• Restored the missing closing verses (述赞) of two chronological tables