Meaning
笔画 refers to the individual strokes that make up a Chinese character. Each stroke is a continuous mark made by the pen or brush without lifting it from the paper. Chinese characters are built from a combination of basic strokes like horizontal lines, vertical lines, dots, and hooks.
Usage
This term is essential for discussing Chinese writing and calligraphy. Native speakers use it when teaching character writing, describing character complexity, or organizing dictionaries. It's common to ask '这个字有几画？' (How many strokes does this character have?) when learning new characters.
Examples
- 01这个汉字有十二笔画。' .This Chinese character has twelve strokes.
- 02学习汉字要掌握基本笔画。.Learning Chinese characters requires mastering the basic strokes.
Characters
Measure words
- 笔一笔笔画
Common collocations
- 笔画数stroke count
- 基本笔画basic strokes
- 笔画简单simple strokes, few strokes
- 笔画复杂complex strokes, many strokes
Origin
The word combines 笔 (pen/brush) and 画 (stroke/drawing), literally meaning 'pen stroke' or 'brush drawing,' which directly describes the marks made when writing Chinese characters.