皴 (cūn) - To chap & to crack

皴Tone 1

cūn ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

橙丁

皴 · cūn

To chap;

to crack;

chapped skin;

a type of wrinkling or texture technique in Chinese landscape painting;

rough, cracked skin from cold or dryness.

To chapto crackchapped skin

Usage highlights

Texture stroke methodChapped skinCracked and chappedWrinkling techniqueAxeHemp

Synonyms

  • 裂— to crack, to split
  • 糙— rough, coarse

Antonyms

  • 润— moist, smooth
  • 滑— slippery, smooth

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • My hands are chapped from the cold weather (手皴了).
  • He uses the texture stroke method in painting (皴法).
  • The mountain rocks appear textured in the painting (山石皴染).
  • Winter wind causes skin to chap (皮肤皴裂).

Collocations

  • Texture stroke method(皴法)
  • Chapped skin(皮肤皴了)
  • Cracked and chapped(皴裂)
  • Wrinkling technique(皴染)
  • Axe-cut texture stroke(斧劈皴)
  • Hemp-fiber texture stroke(披麻皴)

Idioms

  • Skin chapped and hands cracked(手皴肤裂)
  • Using texture strokes to depict mountains(山石皴法)
  • Wind-chapped and sun-tanned(风皴日晒)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese painting, 'cun' refers to specific brushstroke techniques used to texture rocks and mountains, representing different geological formations.
  • The character combines the 'skin' radical with a phonetic component, literally meaning 'skin cracking'.
  • Different cun techniques (axe-cut, hemp-fiber, etc.) were developed during the Song dynasty and became systematic painting methods.

FAQ