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毛笔 (máo bǐ) — writing brush

Definition

毛笔 is the traditional Chinese writing brush used for calligraphy and ink painting — a specific kind of 笔, not a modern pen like 钢笔. Measure words: 枝 or 管.

noun
writing brush
Measure word · 枝, 管

Examples

  • 毛笔。
    Tā sòng le wǒ yì zhī máo bǐ.
    He gave me a writing brush as a gift.
  • 毛笔。
    Yé ye měi tiān yòng máo bǐ liàn zì.
    Grandpa practices calligraphy with a writing brush every day.
  • 毛笔。
    Zhè guǎn máo bǐ shì péng you cóng zhōng guó dài lái de.
    This writing brush was brought from China by a friend.

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.

毛máohair
笔bǐbrush

毛笔 pairs 毛, hair or fur, with 笔, brush, to name a writing brush.

Characters in this word

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

毛 is drawn as a feather or hair, with its strokes tracing the shape of the feather or hair.

Open 毛 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5

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