懿
(literary) exemplary; virtuous
Closest English meanings
excellent·virtuous
The Calligrapher — Mǐ Yǒurén 米友仁
Song painter-son of Mi Fu; co-inventor of 'cloud-mist' ink play.
Song calligrapher (), master of running script — known for 米芾之子，《潇湘奇观图》题. Song dynasty
Cultural Story
懿 is excellence of character, the highest praise a record could grant a woman. The 詩經 sings 好是懿德 — cherish that fine virtue — and the imperial household reserved 懿旨 for the empress's decree. The heart with 壹, one, is virtue made whole. It is the sealed, official goodness.
Common words & phrases
- 懿德 virtuous character
- 懿旨 empress's decree
- 嘉懿 excellent
Read the story behind the character
懿 is a ceremonial fossil: 懿德 the virtue on a memorial tablet, 懿旨 the empress's order in the costume drama. It survives in inscriptions and the occasional dignified name. You will not hear it spoken; it is the word a stone or a script is allowed to keep.
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Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Mǐ Yǒurén 米友仁, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.