草体 (cǎo tī) — cursive script (in Chinese calligraphy); running hand

Definition

草体 is the cursive, flowing style of Chinese calligraphy where strokes merge and simplify — more abbreviated than 行书 (semi-cursive). It is one of the main script styles alongside 楷书 (regular) and 行书.

noun
cursive script (in Chinese calligraphy)running hand
Measure word · 种
Easily confused

Examples

  • 草体。
    Zhè fú shū fǎ zuò pǐn yòng de shì cǎo tī.
    This calligraphy piece is written in cursive script.
  • 草体，。
    Tā liàn le sān nián cǎo tī, yǐ jīng xiě dé hěn liú chàng le.
    He has practiced cursive script for three years and can now write it very fluently.
  • 草体、。
    cǎo tī De tè diǎn shì bǐ huà jiǎn shěng, qì shì lián guàn.
    The characteristic of cursive script is simplified strokes and continuous momentum.

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.

草cǎocursive
体tǐstyle

The cursive 草 and the style 体 together mean the cursive writing style.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
早
早zǎo草cǎo
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

草 pairs 艹 (grass; plant) with 早, which gives the sound. The form originally referred to another word and was later used for the grass sense.

Open 草 →

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 體; 体 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
骨骨gǔbone
Sound part声符shēngfú
豊
豊lǐ體tǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 體 pairs 骨 (bone) with 豊 as a sound part; this note is about 體, not about the parts of 体.

Open 体 →

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