长卷 (cháng juàn) — long scroll (of painting or calligraphy)

Definition

Literally 'long scroll,' it refers to a traditional Chinese painting or calligraphy rolled horizontally (横幅) rather than hung as a single panel. A 长卷 is meant to be unrolled section by section as you view it.

noun
long scroll (of painting or calligraphy)
Measure word · 幅

Examples

  • 长卷。
    Zhè fú cháng juàn miáo huì le qīng míng shí jié de fán huá jǐng xiàng.
    This long scroll depicts the bustling scene of the Qingming Festival.
  • 长卷。
    Bó wù guǎn zhǎn chū le yì fú sòng dài de cháng juàn.
    The museum exhibited a long scroll from the Song dynasty.
  • 长卷。
    Tā huā le yì nián shí jiān wán chéng zhè fú cháng juàn.
    He spent a year completing this long scroll.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

长chánglong
卷juànscroll

长 means length, and 卷 means scroll, together describing a long scroll.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Open 长 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
卩卩jiékneeling person
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢍏
𢍏𢍏卷juàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 卷, 卩 shows a kneeling person, while 𢍏 gives the sound and may also suggest bending or rolling, as in a reel of books.

Open 卷 →

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