笔走龙蛇
bǐ zǒu lóng shé
to write with lively, sweeping strokes
Character by character
笔bǐ
brush
brush
走zǒu
run
run
龙lóng
dragon
dragon
蛇shé
snake
snake
Example
只见他提起毛笔，笔走龙蛇，一会儿就写好了一副春联。
He took up the brush and, with sweeping strokes, finished a pair of Spring Festival couplets in no time.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
Describes writing fast and freely, mostly running or cursive script. Often traced to 李白’s poem on the monk-calligrapher 怀素, whose strokes moved like dragons and snakes.
Learn this in Lesson 91 · HSK 6–7: 兰亭序与书法 (The Orchid Pavilion and the art of calligraphy)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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