The Calligrapher — Lǐ Sī 李斯

Qin chancellor who standardized the small-seal script for China's first empire.

Qin calligrapher (约前284–前208), master of small seal script — Qin chancellor who standardized the small-seal script for the first empire. Qin dynasty

Cultural Story

The histories have the general who 據 the strategic point, holding the ground no enemy could take, and the scribe who 據 the facts in his annals. 據 is the occupation that is also a grounding, the foot and the footnote both planted, and the scribe planted his fact exactly where the general planted his flag, on ground the loser could not later dispute.

Common words & phrases

• 根据 according to · basis
• 据点 stronghold · base
• 数据 data
• 占据 occupy · hold
• 据说 it is said
• 证据 evidence · proof

Read the story behind the character

A report is 根據 the data; a firm 佔據s the market; you show 證據; a screen reads 數據. The strategic point is a spreadsheet now. The planted foot and the planted fact are the same, whether it holds a pass or merely an argument nobody can overturn, and the spreadsheet is only the hill, contoured in cells and colored red.