聿 (yù) - A writing brush & a pen

聿Tone 4

yù ｜ 6 strokes ｜ radical: 聿

与喻

聿 · yù

A writing brush;

a pen;

then;

thereupon;

used in classical Chinese as a particle.

A writing brusha penthen

Usage highlights

Writing brushLaw officerBrush and inkTo writeBrush holderImperial decree

Synonyms

  • 笔— writing brush, pen
  • 毫— writing brush, fine hair

Antonyms

  • 口— mouth (speaking vs. writing)
  • 言— speech, words (spoken vs. written)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He held a writing brush (聿) in his hand.
  • In classical texts, 聿 often functions as a particle (聿 as a grammatical word).
  • The character 聿 originally depicted a hand holding a brush (聿 original form).

Collocations

  • Writing brush(聿笔)
  • Law officer(聿官)
  • Brush and ink(聿墨)
  • To write(聿书)
  • Brush holder(聿筒)
  • Imperial decree(聿诏)

Idioms

  • With brush in hand, ready to write(执聿待书)
  • The brush moves like flying(聿飞笔舞)
  • Writing with divine skill(神工鬼聿)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 聿 is one of the oldest characters representing a writing brush, showing the importance of writing in Chinese civilization.
  • It serves as a radical for characters related to writing, law, and documentation (e.g., 律, 書, 畫).
  • In classical Chinese, 聿 was used as a function word meaning 'then' or 'thereupon'.

FAQ