气韵生动
qì yùn shēng dòng
(of art) full of life and spirit
Character by character
气qì
spirit
spirit
韵yùn
resonance
resonance
生shēng
life
life
动dòng
movement
movement
Example
这幅山水画气韵生动，站在前面仿佛能听到山间的风声。
This landscape is so full of life that standing in front of it you almost hear the wind in the hills.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
The first of 谢赫’s six principles of painting (六法, written down about 1,500 years ago). Still the highest praise in art criticism, and used of calligraphy and even photography; formal.
Learn this in Lesson 93 · HSK 6–7: 两幅北宋长卷 (Two Northern Song scrolls)
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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