The Calligrapher — Wáng Xīzhī 王羲之

The 'Sage of Calligraphy'; his running script has set the standard for 1,700 years.

Eastern Jin calligrapher (303–361), master of running script/cursive script/regular script — the Sage of Calligraphy; his Orchid Pavilion Preface is the most celebrated work in the tradition, and nearly every later master traces lineage to his hand. Eastern Jin dynasty

Cultural Story

虽 is concession in a single syllable — although, even though — the hinge on which Chinese argument turns. It opens the Songs' laments and Confucian dialogues alike: though poor, though failing, though no one sees — and yet. Classical prose loved the pivot: grant the premise, then overturn it with a therefore.

Common words & phrases

• 虽然 although · though
• 虽则 although · though
• 虽说 though · although
• 虽是 even though

Read the story behind the character

Spoken Chinese runs on it. 虽然 (although, though) is among a child's first connectors: 虽说 (though, although) it rained, we went; 虽则 (although, though) the train was late, the meeting started on time. Application essays begin 虽是 (even though) my first internship, and the quiet heroism of ordinary days lives in that same pivot — circumstances granted, persistence affirmed.