煞笔 (shā bǐ) — to write the final line; to finish writing (a literary or calligraphic work)

Definition

Literary verb meaning to write the final line / put the last stroke on a written work — used for finishing calligraphy, essays, or other writing with a sense of completion.

verb
to write the final lineto finish writing (a literary or calligraphic work)

Examples

  • ，煞笔。
    Tā yòng le sān nián shí jiān, zhōng yú shā bǐ le.
    After three years, he finally wrote the final line.
  • 煞笔，。
    Zhè piān xiǎo shuō shā bǐ zhī hòu, tā jiù kāi shǐ xiě xià yì běn le.
    After writing the final line of this novel, he started writing the next one.
  • ，。
    Tā shà le zuì hòu yì bǐ, zhōng yú wán chéng le zhè bù zuò pǐn.
    He wrote the final stroke and finally completed this work.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

煞shàstop
笔bǐwriting

煞 means to stop or end, and 笔 refers to writing; together they describe finishing a written work.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 煞 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 筆; 笔 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
聿
聿yù筆bǐ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The simplified 笔 is based on the traditional form 筆, which puts 竹 (bamboo) beside 聿 (writing brush). 聿 already meant the brush and supplied the sound; 竹 was added later to show it was made of bamboo.

Open 笔 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.