書法 / 书法
shūfǎ
Calligraphy in Chinese is 書法 / 书法 (shūfǎ). If unsure, use 書法 / 书法. Wiktionary also lists 筆法 / 笔法 (bǐfǎ) and 書道 / 书道 (shūdào).
Meaning: art of writing beautifully (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 書法 / 书法 | shūfǎ |
| 筆法 / 笔法 | bǐfǎ |
| 書道 / 书道 | shūdào |
| 筆跡 / 笔迹 | bǐjì |
| 寫法 / 写法 | xiěfǎ |
The term refers to the art of writing beautifully.
What does it mean word for word?
The word shūfǎ is composed of shū (writing/book) and fǎ (method/law), literally meaning 'the method of writing'.
Which one should you use?
While shūfǎ refers to the artistic discipline of calligraphy, bǐfǎ refers specifically to the technical brushwork or the specific strokes used in calligraphy. Furthermore, bǐjì refers to one's handwriting or the physical traces left by a pen.
How do you pronounce it?
shūfǎ
Did you know?
- In Chinese, the term 書法 / 书法 is often used as a metaphor for a person's character or moral integrity, suggesting that how one writes reflects who they are.
- A master of 書法 / 书法 is judged not just by the beauty of the characters, but by the 'white space' or empty areas left on the paper.
- In traditional Chinese culture, 書法 is considered one of the three perfections, alongside poetry and painting, and the three are often combined in a single piece of art.
Examples in context
- 我迷恋书法的艺术表现。（Wǒ mí liàn shū fǎ de yì shù biǎo xiàn.）I am fascinated by the artistic expression of calligraphy.
- 她在学习书法的技巧。（Tā zài xué xí shū fǎ de jì qiǎo.）She is learning the techniques of calligraphy.
- 他的书法字写得非常优美。（Tā de shū fǎ zì xiě dé fēi cháng yōu měi.）His calligraphy characters are written beautifully.
- 这种书法字体很难找到。（Zhè zhǒng shū fǎ zì tǐ hěn nán zhǎo dào.）This calligraphic style is hard to find.
- 他研究了台湾的書法（Tā yán jiū le tái wān de shū fǎ.）He studied Taiwanese calligraphy.
- 他临摹了毛笔书法。（Tā lín mó le máo bǐ shū fǎ.）He copied the calligraphy with a brush.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “calligraphy” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
