都
surname Du; all; both; entirely; (used for emphasis) even; already; (not) at all; capital city; metropolis
Closest English meanings
capital·all·even·metropolis
The Calligrapher — Ōuyáng Tōng 欧阳通
Tang regular-script master known for powerful, square strokes.
Tang calligrapher (?–691), master of regular script — known for 《道因法师碑》. Tang dynasty
Cultural Story
Kublai Khan raised Dadu, the 大都, on the northern plain and made it the capital of the Yuan, the city we now call Beijing, its axes laid by the astronomer Guo Shoujing. The 古都 drew envoys from across Eurasia to its gates. The character that named a capital of empire also kept the sense of a whole, the 全都 where everything gathered under one roof.
Common words & phrases
- 首都 capital · capital city
- 都市 city · metropolis · urban
- 全都 all · entirely · without exception
- 都会 city · metropolis
- 古都 ancient capital · old capital
Read the story behind the character
A commuter rides the subway beneath a 都市 that never quite sleeps, while a tour bus circles the 古都 and a border officer stamps a visa for the 首都 up north. The 全都 of the nation's news pours across a phone screen at the station. The character now names the metropolis overhead and the capital on a map, the great gathering place of people and power.
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