The Calligrapher — Zhào Mèngfǔ 赵孟頫

Yuan master whose elegant regular and running script revived classical tradition.

Yuan calligrapher (1254–1322), master of regular script/running script/cursive script — Yuan reviver of classical elegance who could write any script beautifully and did. Yuan dynasty

Cultural Story

位 is 人 with 立, a man standing in his place, the position, the rank, the seat he occupies. The 說文 reads it as the station, the rank. A 地位 was the standing a man held; 各位 the assembled worthies. The character is the person planted at a point, the office and the seat, the location that defines the man as much as the man defines it.

Common words & phrases

• 位置 position · location
• 地位 status · position
• 座位 seat
• 单位 unit
• 位于 located at
• 各位 everyone · each

Read the story behind the character

位置 is the spot on the map and the job in the org; 地位 the status you defend. 座位 is the reserved chair; 单位 the work unit and the measure. 位于 is the located at of the listing; 各位 the everyone that opens a speech. The character names the station, the place, the rank, the seat. It still means the man standing in his spot, the position that holds him and the standing he holds.