Meaning of 毛笔
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- writing brush
Measure word: 枝,管
How to use 毛笔
毛笔 is used for Chinese calligraphy (书法 shūfǎ) and traditional painting, not for everyday note taking. The usual measure word is 支 (zhī) or 枝 (zhī). Example: 他每天用毛笔练字。(Tā měitiān yòng máobǐ liàn zì.) He practices calligraphy with a brush every day.
毛 (máo) means hair or fur, and 笔 (bǐ) means pen. A pen made of animal hair is a writing brush, the tool used for traditional calligraphy.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes say 毛笔 for any pen. A fountain pen is 钢笔 (gāngbǐ) and a ballpoint is 圆珠笔 (yuánzhūbǐ), so only use 毛笔 for a real brush. Also keep 毛 in the second tone, máo, not mǎo.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
毛 máo · hair · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
笔 bǐ · writing brush · 10 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Related words
Words that share a character with 毛笔.
| 笔记 | bǐjì | to take down (in writing); notes |
| 笔记本 | bǐjìběn | notebook (stationery) (CL:本[ben3]); (computing) laptop; notebook (abbr. for 筆記本電腦|笔记本电脑[bi |
| 毛病 | máobìng | fault; defect |
| 毛巾 | máojīn | towel |
| 毛衣 | máoyī | (wool) sweater |
| 钢笔 | gāngbǐ | fountain pen |
| 羽毛球 | yǔmáoqiú | badminton; shuttlecock |
| 铅笔 | qiānbǐ | (lead) pencil |
| 笔试 | bǐshì | written examination; paper test (for an applicant) |
| 圆珠笔 | yuánzhūbǐ | ballpoint pen |
| 眉毛 | méimao | eyebrow |
| 大笔 | dàbǐ | (formal) (honorific) your writing; your handwriting; pen; calligraphy brush |
Questions about 毛笔
What does 毛笔 mean?
毛笔 (máobǐ) means "writing brush" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 毛笔?
毛笔 is made of 2 characters: 毛 (4 strokes), 笔 (10 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 毛笔 an HSK word?
Yes. 毛笔 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 毛笔 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 毛笔 is written 毛筆.
How do you say 'paintbrush' for painting walls in Chinese?
A brush for painting walls or houses is usually 刷子 (shuāzi) or 油漆刷 (yóuqī shuā). 毛笔 refers to the fine brush used for calligraphy and ink painting.
What are the Four Treasures of the Study that include 毛笔?
The 文房四宝 (wénfáng sì bǎo) are the brush 笔 (bǐ), ink stick 墨 (mò), paper 纸 (zhǐ), and inkstone 砚 (yàn). The brush in this set is the 毛笔.