藝術家 / 艺术家
yìshùjiā
The English phrase "artist" can be translated into Chinese as 藝術家 / 艺术家 (yìshùjiā). If unsure, use 藝術家 / 艺术家. Wiktionary also lists 畫家 / 画家 (huàjiā) and 美術家 / 美术家 (měishùjiā).
Meaning: person who creates art (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 藝術家 / 艺术家 | yìshùjiā |
| 畫家 / 画家 | huàjiā |
| 美術家 / 美术家 | měishùjiā |
The term refers to a person who creates art.
Which one should you use?
藝術家 / 艺术家 is the most general term for an artist, covering all forms of art including music, literature and performance. 畫家 / 画家 specifically refers to a painter or someone who creates drawings/paintings. 美術家 / 美术家 is often used to refer to fine artists, specifically those working in visual arts like sculpture or painting. Additionally, calligraphers are referred to as 书法家 (shū fǎ jiā).
How does it change in a sentence?
The term 藝術家 is a count noun and does not change its form for plurality.
How do you pronounce it?
yìshùjiā
Did you know?
- The term 藝術 (art) was not used in ancient China to describe creative works but was later adapted to translate the Western concept of 'art'.
- In traditional Chinese culture, the 'Three Perfections' combine the skills of a 畫家 (painter), a 書法家 (calligrapher) and a poet into one single artist.
- The character 家 (jiā) in 藝術家 does not mean 'family' or 'home' in this context, but functions as a suffix meaning 'specialist' or 'master'.
Examples in context
- 他是一位伟大的艺术家。He is a great artist.
- 这家画廊展出了许多著名的艺术家作品。This gallery exhibits many famous artists' works.
- 艺术行业需要很多才华横溢的艺术家。The art industry requires many talented artists.
- 我喜欢参观画家的工作室。I enjoy visiting artists' studios.
- 在中国的历史上，许多伟大的画家闻名于世。Many great painters were famous throughout Chinese history.
- 这幅画是我一个朋友画家创作的。This painting is created by a friend of mine who is an artist.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “artist” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
