写意 (xiě yì) — (art) freehand, expressive style emphasizing spirit over form; (colloquial, dialectal) comfortable, enjoyable

Definition

A freehand painting style that captures the spirit or mood rather than exact detail — the opposite of 工笔画 (meticulous brushwork). In some southern dialects it also casually means 'comfortable, enjoyable'.

adjective
(art) freehand, expressive style emphasizing spirit over form(colloquial, dialectal) comfortableenjoyable

Examples

  • 写意。
    Zhè fú shān shuǐ huà yòng de shì xiě yì shǒu fǎ.
    This landscape painting uses the freehand style.
  • 写意，。
    Tā xǐ huan xiě yì huà, bù xǐ huan gōng bǐ huà.
    He likes freehand painting, not meticulous-style painting.
  • ，写意。
    Zài nán fāng fāng yán lǐ, xiě yì yě yǒu shū fu de yì si.
    In southern dialects, 写意 can also mean 'comfortable'.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

写xiělet out; relieve
意yìmind; mood

写 suggests letting out or relieving, and 意 is the mind or mood, so 写意 describes a relaxed, enjoyable state.

Characters in this word

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 寫; 写 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
舄
舄xì寫xiě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 寫 combines 宀 with 舄 for the sound; this note is about 寫, not the simplified 写.

Open 写 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 意 →

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