The Calligrapher — Yǔ Yì 庾翼

Jin general and calligrapher of cursive script who once rivaled Wang Xizhi.

Jin calligrapher (), master of cursive script — known for 与王羲之齐名. Jin dynasty

Etymology & Meaning · 字义溯源

2 · The Character: 场 The simplified 场 stands for 場. 《說文解字》:"場,祭神道也。一曰田不耕。一曰治穀田也。从土,昜聲。" Its first sense is the cleared ground for worship — a sacred open space; a second sense is the threshing ground where grain is processed (the《詩·豳風》"九月築場圃," building the threshing floor in autumn). From 'cleared ground' it widened to any arena of human gathering: 廣場 (square), 市場 (market), 戰場 (battlefield), 文場 (the field of letters), 選佛場 (the arena of awakening). The《傳燈錄》records a monk calling a master's seat "this 選佛場" — a place to choose buddhahood. For a tattoo 场 is open, active, positive — a stage, a field of action, a marketplace of life. Honest note: the simplified 场 (6 strokes) corresponds to traditional 場 (Kangxi 12); and 场 is also a measure-word (一場雨, one bout of rain). It is NOT 揚 (to raise) or 湯 (soup), though they share the 昜 component. Safe and energetic to wear.

Cultural Story

:The Book of Rites sets the 场 for the autumn harvest, where grain was threshed and counted. A 广场 gathered the Tang capital for proclamations. In the Water Margin, every 场面 of bloodshed is staged for loyalty. The character is flat ground made deliberate — a place where something happens.

Where a Western reader can stand: Field — the open ground where life is staged, in the hand of a Jin general who commanded on the field. Western readers should know the 場/揚/湯 distinctions; the hand is attributed.

Common words & phrases

• 场面 scene · spectacle · occasion · appearance
• 场所 place · site · venue · location
• 现场 scene · site · spot · on the spot
• 市场 market · marketplace
• 广场 square · plaza · public square
• 场地 field · ground · site · space

Read the story behind the character

The night 场 empties after the last train. A 场所 rents by the hour for the meeting. The 现场 of the crash is cordoned in yellow tape. The 市场 sets the price by the kilo. Crowds fill the 广场 for the holiday show. The 场地 closes at ten.