历史

历史 (lìshǐ) means 'history' — both the academic subject and the actual past events of a country, person, or institution. As a school subject: 历史课 (history class), 学历史 (study history). As 'the past': 中国的历史 (China's history), 这家公司有100年的历史 ('this company has 100 years of history'). Unlike English, Chinese commonly treats 'has history' as a way to say something is old or established: 有历史 literally 'has history' = 'is historic / well-established.'

The character 历 (calendar / experience / pass through) plus 史 (records of the past) gives the literal sense 'records of what has been lived through.' Common adjective form is 历史的 or 历史性的 (historic). Do not confuse with 故事 (gùshi, 'story') — 历史 is real, documented;