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寫意

简写意 · 繁寫意

Mandarin · pinyin xiě yì#

to suggest (rather than depict in detail)
freehand style of Chinese painting, characterized by bold strokes rather than accurate details

Mandarin · pinyin xiè yì#

comfortable
enjoyable
relaxed

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Characters in this entry

寫: xiě · write; draw, sketch; compose
意: yì · thought, idea, opinion; think
写: xiě · write; draw, sketch; compose

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

3–4 · xie3 yi4

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

寫意 · find source passages ↗ · 写意 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 3 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

se2 ji3

Cantonese word readings for 寫意. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

noun · Etymology 1

arts freehand brushwork in traditional Chinese painting (characterized by vivid expression and bold outline rather than accurate details)

verb · Etymology 1

to suggest (rather than depict in detail)

adj · Etymology 2

(dialectal) comfortable; enjoyable

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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