"Writing" • Chinese-English Dictionary

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文字 wén zì character / script / writing / written language / writing style / phraseology / CL:個|个[ge4]
写作 xiě zuò to write / to compose / writing / written works
笔墨 bǐ mò pen and ink / words / writing
篇章 piān zhāng writing / sections and chapters
字句 zì jù words / expressions / writing
着述 zhù shù writing
著述 zhù shù writing / to write / to compile
文 wén language / culture / writing / formal / literary / gentle / (old) classifier for coins / Kangxi radical 67
文辞 wén cí language / use of words / phraseology / articles / essays / writing
文墨 wén mò writing / culture
稿件 gǎo jiàn piece of writing submitted for publication / manuscript / article
抬头 tái tóu to raise one's head / to gain ground / account name, or space for writing the name on checks, bills etc
书面 shū miàn in writing / written
拼音 pīn yīn phonetic writing / pinyin (Chinese romanization)
文体 wén tǐ genre of writing / literary form / style / literary recreation and sporting activities
写成 xiě chéng to compile / to form through writing
读写 dú xiě reading and writing
留空 liú kōng leave blank spaces in writing
复古 fù gǔ to return to old ways (a Confucian aspiration) / to turn back the clock / neoclassical school during Tang and Song associated with classical writing 古文 / retro (fashion style based on nostalgia, esp. for 1960s)
写完 xiě wán to finish writing
文笔 wén bǐ writings / writing style
力作 lì zuò to put effort into (work, farming, writing etc) / a masterpiece
佳作 jiā zuò masterpiece / fine piece of writing
下行 xià xíng (of trains) down (i.e. away from the capital) / (of river boats) to travel downstream / to issue (a document) to lower bureaucratic levels / (of writing on the page) vertical, proceeding from top to bottom
文学作品 wén xué zuò pǐn literature / writing / CL:部[bu4]
致辞 zhì cí to express in words or writing / to make a speech (esp. short introduction, vote of thanks, afterword, funeral homily etc) / to address (an audience) / same as 致詞|致词
板书 bǎn shū to write on the blackboard / writing on the blackboard
写法 xiě fǎ style of writing (literary style) / way of writing a character / spelling
天书 tiān shū imperial edict / heavenly book (superstition) / obscure or illegible writing / double dutch
明文 míng wén to state in writing (laws, rules etc)
遗书 yí shū posthumous writing / testament / suicide note / ancient literature
精炼 jīng liàn to refine (a substance) / to purify / to refine (one's skills, writing etc) / refined / polished / succinct / skilled / capable
天马行空 tiān mǎ xíng kōng like a heavenly steed, soaring across the skies (idiom) / (of writing, calligraphy etc) bold and imaginative / unconstrained in style
笔录 bǐ lù to put down in writing / to take down notes / transcript / record
海选 hǎi xuǎn (in elections for village committees in the PRC since the 1990s) unrestricted nomination, a type of election where 1. everyone in the community is eligible to nominate somebody 2. voting is done by writing the name of one's nominee on the ballot, and 3. one's nominee can be anyone in the community (Nominees who receive the highest number of votes may be thereby elected or, more often, presented as the candidates in a further round of voting.) / (in other contexts) selection of the best contender in a process open to all comers / (in the entertainment industry) open audition
大义 dà yì righteousness / virtuous cause / a woman's marriage / main points of a piece of writing
行文 xíng wén writing style (formal) / to send an official written communication
信纸 xìn zhǐ letter paper / writing paper
载明 zǎi míng to state explicitly in writing / to specify / to stipulate
毛笔 máo bǐ writing brush / CL:枝[zhi1],管[guan3]
体裁 tǐ cái genre / style / form of writing
伏羲 Fú Xī Fuxi or Fu Hsi, legendary Chinese emperor, trad. 2852-2738 BC, mythical creator of fishing, trapping and writing
文言文 wén yán wén Classical Chinese writing
批文 pī wén official written ruling in response to a submission / official approval in writing
行云流水 xíng yún liú shuǐ lit. moving clouds and flowing water (idiom) / fig. very natural and flowing style of calligraphy, writing, etc / natural and unforced
稿酬 gǎo chóu fee paid to an author for a piece of writing
笔触 bǐ chù brush stroke in Chinese painting and calligraphy / brushwork / style of drawing or writing
败笔 bài bǐ a faulty stroke in calligraphy or painting / a faulty expression in writing
执笔 zhí bǐ to write / to do the actual writing
文风 wén fēng writing style / (used with 鼎盛[ding3 sheng4]) cultural activity
应用文 yìng yòng wén applied writing / writing for practical purposes (business letters, advertising etc)
笔法 bǐ fǎ technique of writing / calligraphy / or drawing
写字台 xiě zì tái writing desk
韩愈 Hán Yù Han Yu (768-824), Tang dynasty essayist and poet, advocate of the classical writing 古文運動|古文运动[gu3 wen2 yun4 dong4] and neoclassical 復古|复古[fu4 gu3] movements
名篇 míng piān famous piece of writing
碉堡 diāo bǎo pillbox (military fortification) / blockhouse / euphemistic way of writing 屌爆[diao3 bao4]
语意 yǔ yì meaning / content of speech or writing / semantic
宣纸 xuān zhǐ fine writing paper, originally from Jing county 涇縣|泾县, Xuancheng 宣城, Anhui
后话 hòu huà something to be taken up later in speech or writing
硬笔 yìng bǐ generic term for hard writing instruments such as quill pens, fountain pens, ball pens and pencils, as opposed to writing brushes
笔尖 bǐ jiān nib / pen point / the tip of a writing brush or pencil
文思 wén sī the train of thought in writing
先王 xiān wáng former kings / former emperors / in Confucian writing, refers esp. to the sage rulers Yao 堯|尧[Yao2], Shun 舜[Shun4], Yu 禹[Yu3], Tang 湯|汤[Tang1] and the kings of Zhou
竹简 zhú jiǎn bamboo writing slips in ancient times (joined together to form whole scrolls)
润色 rùn sè to polish (a piece of writing) / to add a few finishing touches to (a piece of writing, painting etc)
妙笔 miào bǐ talented, gifted or ingenious writing
记叙文 jì xù wén narrative writing / written narration
八股 bā gǔ an essay in eight parts / stereotyped writing
写字板 xiě zì bǎn writing tablet / clipboard
笔头 bǐ tóu ability to write / writing skill / written / in written form
柳宗元 Liǔ Zōng yuán Liu Zongyuan (773-819), Tang essayist and poet, advocate of the classical writing 古文運動|古文运动 / and neoclassical 復古|复古 / movements
笔顺 bǐ shùn stroke order (when writing Chinese character)
岩画 yán huà rock painting / picture or writing carved on rocks
著录 zhù lù to record / to put down in writing
什 shí ten (used in fractions, writing checks etc) / assorted / miscellaneous
拙作 zhuō zuò my unworthy manuscript (humble expr.) / my humble writing
笔杆 bǐ gǎn the shaft of a pen or writing brush / pen-holder / pen
奇文 qí wén remarkable work / peculiar writing
圣典 shèng diǎn sacred writing / canon
仓颉 Cāng Jié Cang Jie, legendary scribe of the Yellow Emperor and creator of Chinese writing / Cangjie input method (computing)
笔锋 bǐ fēng the tip of a writing brush / vigor of style in writing / stroke / touch
口诛笔伐 kǒu zhū bǐ fá to condemn in speech and in writing (idiom) / to denounce by word and pen
练字 liàn zì to practice writing characters
白描 bái miáo line drawing in traditional ink and brush style / simple and straightforward style of writing
跃然纸上 yuè rán zhǐ shàng to appear vividly on paper (idiom) / to show forth vividly (in writing, painting etc) / to stand out markedly
刘安 Liú An1 Liu An (179-122 BC), King of Huainan under the Western Han, ordered the writing of the 淮南子[Huai2 nan2 zi5]
集子 jí zi anthology / selected writing
油腔滑调 yóu qiāng huá diào flippant and insincere (piece of writing or speech) / glib-tongued / oily
书案 shū àn writing desk / official record
笔耕 bǐ gēng to make a living by writing / to write (as an author)
管 guǎn to take care (of) / to control / to manage / to be in charge of / to look after / to run / to care about / tube / pipe / woodwind / classifier for tube-shaped objects / particle similar to 把[ba3] in 管...叫 / constructions / writing brush / (coll.) to / towards
词话 cí huà form of writing novels that comprise lots of poetry in the body of the text, popular in the Ming Dynasty
高妙 gāo miào masterly / subtle and clever (or artwork, writing etc)
正教 zhèng jiào lit. true religion / orthodox religion / orthodox Christianity / Islam (in the writing of Chinese or Hui theologians)
文字狱 wén zì yù literary inquisition / official persecution of intellectuals for their writing
繁文缛节 fán wén rù jié convoluted and overelaborate (document) / unnecessarily elaborate writing / mumbo-jumbo
煞笔 shā bǐ to stop one's pen / to break off writing / final remarks (at the end of a book or article)
文气 wén qì the impact of a piece of writing on the reader / gentle / refined
习字 xí zì to practice writing characters
冯梦龙 Féng Mèng lóng Feng Menglong (1574-1646), late Ming dynasty novelist writing in colloquial (baihua), author of Stories Old and New 古今小說|古今小说[Gu3 jin1 Xiao3 shuo1]
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