About
The traditional character 筆 is an ideogrammic compound: the bamboo radical 竹 (zhú) sits above the brush radical 聿 (yù), reflecting the physical makeup of a traditional Chinese writing brush, a bamboo shaft with animal hair. The component 聿 originally depicted a hand holding a brush to write. In the simplified form 笔, the lower element is replaced by the hair radical 毛 (máo), maintaining the connection to the brush’s materials by directly combining bamboo and hair. As writing tools evolved, the character's meaning broadened to refer to any writing instrument, from traditional brushes to modern pens and pencils.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这是我的新铅笔。
他用钢笔写字。
我每天做笔记。
这条路笔直向前。
我有一个外国笔友。
他的笔名很有名。
我能认出他的笔迹。
她用漂亮的笔调写故事。