字 zì letter / symbol / character / word / CL:個|个[ge4] / courtesy or style name traditionally given to males aged 20 in dynastic China syn 标记 標記 biāo jì sign / mark / symbol / to mark up / (computing) token syn 标志 標誌 biāo zhì sign / mark / symbol / logo / to symbolize / to indicate / to mark syn 象征 象徵 xiàng zhēng emblem / symbol / token / badge / to symbolize / to signify / to stand for syn 符号 符號 fú hào symbol / mark / sign syn 文字 wén zì character / script / writing / written language / writing style / phraseology / CL:個|个[ge4] syn 记号 記號 jì hao mark / symbol / notation / seal syn 贝克 貝克 bèi kè becquerel (unit of radioactivity, symbol Bq) (abbr. for 貝克勒爾|贝克勒尔[bei4 ke4 le4 er3]) 爱心 愛心 ài xīn compassion / kindness / care for others / love / CL:片[pian4] / charity (bazaar, golf day etc) / heart (the symbol ♥) syn 音符 yīn fú (music) note / phonetic component of a Chinese character / phonetic symbol / phonogram 如意 rú yì as one wants / according to one's wishes / ruyi scepter, a symbol of power and good fortune syn 桂冠 guì guān laurel (as a symbol of victory or merit) syn 红心 紅心 hóng xīn heart ♥ (in card games) / red, heart-shaped symbol / bullseye syn 箭头 箭頭 jiàn tóu arrowhead / arrow symbol syn 绿帽子 綠帽子 lǜ mào zi green hat (figuratively, a symbol of being a cuckold) 润色 潤色 rùn sè to polish (a piece of writing) / to add a few finishing touches to (a piece of writing, painting etc) syn 图标 圖標 tú biāo graphic symbol / (computing) icon 橄榄枝 橄欖枝 gǎn lǎn zhī olive branch / symbol of peace 斜线 斜線 xié xiàn oblique line / slash (symbol) 写法 寫法 xiě fǎ style of writing (literary style) / way of writing a character / spelling 西格玛 西格瑪 xī gé mǎ sigma (Greek letter Σσ) / (symbol for standard deviation in statistics) 血泪 血淚 xuè lèi tears of blood (symbol of extreme suffering) / blood and tears 红星 紅星 hóng xīng red star / five pointed star as symbol or communism or proletariat / hot film star 表征 表徵 biǎo zhēng symbol / indicator / representation syn 标竿 標竿 biāo gān benchmark / pole serving as mark or symbol / pole with a trophy hung on it 笔锋 筆鋒 bǐ fēng the tip of a writing brush / vigor of style in writing / stroke / touch 图例 圖例 tú lì legend (of a map, etc) / diagram / illustration / graphical symbol 音标 音標 yīn biāo phonetic symbol 令箭 lìng jiàn arrow banner of command (archaic used as symbol of military authority) / fig. instructions from one's superiors syn 象徵 xiàng zhēng emblem / symbol / token 应用文 應用文 yìng yòng wén applied writing / writing for practical purposes (business letters, advertising etc) syn 硬笔 硬筆 yìng bǐ generic term for hard writing instruments such as quill pens, fountain pens, ball pens and pencils, as opposed to writing brushes 九鼎 jiǔ dǐng the Nine Tripod Cauldrons, symbol of state power, dating back to the Xia Dynasty 双喜 雙喜 shuāng xǐ double happiness / the combined symmetric character 囍 (similar to 喜喜) as symbol of good luck, esp. marriage 太极图 太極圖 tài jí tú diagram of cosmological scheme / Yin-Yang symbol ☯ 迎客松 yíng kè sōng Greeting Pine, symbol of Huangshan 黃山|黄山[Huang2 shan1] syn 皓齿 皓齒 hào chǐ white teeth (symbol of youth and beauty) 桃心 táo xīn heart symbol ♥ 标 標 biāo mark / sign / label / to mark with a symbol, label, lettering etc / to bear (a brand name, registration number etc) / prize / award / bid / target / quota / (old) the topmost branches of a tree / visible symptom / classifier for military units syn 翰 hàn writing brush / writing / pen syn 符 fú mark / sign / talisman / to seal / to correspond to / tally / symbol / written charm / to coincide syn 梓 zǐ Chinese catalpa (Catalpa ovata), a tree that serves as a symbol of one's hometown and whose wood is used to make various items / (bound form) printing blocks syn 黼 fǔ (archaic) motif of axes with black handles and white heads, a symbol of authority embroidered on ceremonial robes 管 guǎn to take care (of) / to control / to manage / to be in charge of / to look after / to run / to care about / tube / pipe / woodwind / classifier for tube-shaped objects / particle similar to 把[ba3] in 管...叫 constructions / writing brush / (coll.) to / towards syn 什 shí ten (used in fractions, writing checks etc) / assorted / miscellaneous syn 文 wén language / culture / writing / formal / literary / gentle / (old) classifier for coins / Kangxi radical 67 syn 写作 寫作 xiě zuò to write / to compose / writing / written works syn 笔记 筆記 bǐ jì to take down (in writing) / notes / a type of literature consisting mainly of short sketches / CL:本[ben3] syn 海选 海選 hǎi xuǎn (in elections for village committees in the PRC since the 1990s) unrestricted nomination, a type of election where 1. everyone in the community is eligible to nominate somebody 2. voting is done by writing the name of one's nominee on the ballot, and 3. one's nominee can be anyone in the community (Nominees who receive the highest number of votes may be thereby elected or, more often, presented as the candidates in a further round of voting.) / (in other contexts) selection of the best contender in a process open to all comers / (in the entertainment industry) open audition 抬头 抬頭 tái tóu to raise one's head / to gain ground / account name, or space for writing the name on checks, bills etc syn 书面 書面 shū miàn in writing / written syn 流畅 流暢 liú chàng flowing (of speech, writing) / fluent / smooth and easy syn 遗书 遺書 yí shū posthumous writing / testament / suicide note / ancient literature syn 笔录 筆錄 bǐ lù to put down in writing / to take down notes / transcript / record syn 投稿 tóu gǎo to submit articles for publication / to contribute (writing) 脱落 脫落 tuō luò to drop off / to fall off / (of hair, teeth etc) to fall out / to omit (a character when writing) 抨击 抨擊 pēng jī to attack (verbally or in writing) syn 复古 復古 fù gǔ to return to old ways (a Confucian aspiration) / to turn back the clock / neoclassical school during Tang and Song associated with classical writing 古文 / retro (fashion style based on nostalgia, esp. for 1960s) syn 累赘 纍贅 léi zhuì superfluous / cumbersome / a burden on sb / a nuisance to sb / to inconvenience / to tie sb down / long-winded (of writing) / also pr. [lei2 zhui5] syn 碉堡 diāo bǎo (military) pillbox / blockhouse / humorous way of writing 屌爆[diao3bao4] syn 严谨 嚴謹 yán jǐn rigorous / strict / careful / (of writing) well organized / meticulous syn 致辞 致辭 zhì cí to express in words or writing / to make a speech (esp. short introduction, vote of thanks, afterword, funeral homily etc) / to address (an audience) / same as 致詞|致词 syn 冗长 冗長 rǒng cháng long and tedious / redundant / superfluous / supernumerary / verbose (of writing) syn 篇章 piān zhāng chapter / section (of a written work) / passage of writing / (fig.) chapter (in the history of sth) syn 精炼 精煉 jīng liàn to refine (a substance) / to purify / to refine (one's skills, writing etc) / refined / polished / succinct / skilled / capable syn 文思 wén sī the train of thought in writing syn 通畅 通暢 tōng chàng unobstructed / clear / (of writing or thinking) coherent / fluent syn 平易近人 píng yì jìn rén amiable and approachable (idiom) / easygoing / modest and unassuming / (of writing) plain and simple / easy to understand syn 体统 體統 tǐ tǒng decorum / propriety / arrangement or form (of piece of writing) syn 繁文缛节 繁文縟節 fán wén rù jié convoluted and overelaborate (document) / unnecessarily elaborate writing / mumbo-jumbo syn 文笔 文筆 wén bǐ writings / writing style syn 初稿 chū gǎo first draft (of writing) syn 佳作 jiā zuò masterpiece / fine piece of writing syn 下行 xià xíng (of trains) down (i.e. away from the capital) / (of river boats) to travel downstream / to issue (a document) to lower bureaucratic levels / (of writing on the page) vertical, proceeding from top to bottom syn 败笔 敗筆 bài bǐ a faulty stroke in calligraphy or painting / a faulty expression in writing syn 天马行空 天馬行空 tiān mǎ xíng kōng like a heavenly steed, soaring across the skies (idiom) / (of writing, calligraphy etc) bold and imaginative / unconstrained in style syn 信纸 信紙 xìn zhǐ letter paper / writing paper syn 写字台 寫字檯 xiě zì tái writing desk syn 笔头 筆頭 bǐ tóu ability to write / writing skill / written / in written form 天书 天書 tiān shū imperial edict / heavenly book (superstition) / obscure or illegible writing / double dutch 字句 zì jù words / expressions / writing syn 稿件 gǎo jiàn piece of writing submitted for publication / manuscript / article syn 拼音 pīn yīn phonetic writing / pinyin (Chinese romanization) 篇幅 piān fu length (of a piece of writing) / space occupied on a printed page syn 批文 pī wén official written ruling in response to a submission / official approval in writing 行云流水 行雲流水 xíng yún liú shuǐ lit. moving clouds and flowing water (idiom) / fig. very natural and flowing style of calligraphy, writing, etc / natural and unforced syn 堆砌 duī qì lit. to pile up (bricks) / to pack / fig. to pad out (writing with fancy phrases) / ornate rhetoric syn 执笔 執筆 zhí bǐ to write / to do the actual writing syn 煞笔 煞筆 shā bǐ to stop one's pen / to break off writing / final remarks (at the end of a book or article) syn 体裁 體裁 tǐ cái genre / style / form of writing syn 力作 lì zuò to put effort into (work, farming, writing etc) / a masterpiece syn 笔墨 筆墨 bǐ mò pen and ink / words / writing syn 习作 習作 xí zuò (writing, drawing, calligraphy etc) to apply oneself to producing practice pieces / a practice piece / an exercise 笔触 筆觸 bǐ chù brush stroke in Chinese painting and calligraphy / brushwork / style of drawing or writing syn 老妪 老嫗 lǎo yù old woman (formal writing) syn 笔尖 筆尖 bǐ jiān nib / pen point / the tip of a writing brush or pencil 回函 huí hán a reply (in writing) syn 文体 文體 wén tǐ genre of writing / literary form / style / literary recreation and sporting activities 明文 míng wén to state in writing (laws, rules etc) syn 