写 (xiě) - to write & to compose
写 · xiě
to write;
to compose;
to describe;
to depict;
to draw;
to paint
to writeto composeto describe
Usage highlights
to writewriting brushcopybook for calligraphyto write charactersto write an articleto write a novel
Usage & contexts
Examples
- He is writing a letter (写信).
- Please write down your name (写下你的名字).
- She likes to write poetry (写诗).
- This is a writing desk (写字台).
Collocations
- to write(写作)
- writing brush(写毛笔)
- copybook for calligraphy(写字帖)
- to write characters(写字)
- to write an article(写文章)
- to write a novel(写小说)
Idioms
- To write with ease as if aided by a deity(妙笔生写)
- To write with facility(挥洒自如地写)
- Direct and straightforward in writing(直抒胸臆地写)
Cultural background
FAQ- Originally meant 'to place' or 'to move', later extended to 'to write' or 'to depict'.
- In calligraphy, 写 implies both the act of writing and the artistic expression through brushwork.
- The character is associated with literary and scholarly pursuits in Chinese culture.