The Calligrapher — Yán Zhēnqīng 颜真卿

Tang master of robust regular script; co-creator of the enduring 'Yan style'.

Tang calligrapher (709–784), master of regular script/running script — the Tang moral paragon whose upright, muscular regular script became the model of Chinese integrity in writing. Tang dynasty

Cultural Story

以 is a man with a tool in hand, to use, by means of, and from that the prepositions of cause and purpose. The 論語, 以德報怨, repay injury with virtue. The 孫子兵法, 以逸待勞. It is the word of method, the hinge that says how and why a thing is done, the hand holding the instrument that makes the deed possible.

Common words & phrases

• 以后 after · afterwards · later
• 以前 before · formerly · ago
• 可以 can · may · possible
• 以及 and · as well as · together with
• 所以 so · therefore · hence
• 以外 outside · beyond · except

Read the story behind the character

以后 and 以前 are the tenses, after, before; 可以 the can of permission. 以及 the and also of a list; 所以 the therefore of the excuse. 以外 is the outside and the exception. The character is the instrument and the inference, the means and the because. You use it to link cause and method, what you did it with, what came of it, what lies beyond the line.