The Calligrapher — Wáng Xīzhī 王羲之

The 'Sage of Calligraphy'; his running script has set the standard for 1,700 years.

Eastern Jin calligrapher (303–361), master of running script/cursive script/regular script — the Sage of Calligraphy; his Orchid Pavilion Preface is the most celebrated work in the tradition, and nearly every later master traces lineage to his hand. Eastern Jin dynasty

Cultural Story

Confucius marks his life by tens: “三十而立，四十而不愚” — at thirty he stood, at forty he doubted no more. 十 was the full count, a cross that closed the fingers; 十万 the host a general feared, 十二月 the cold month the Odes sing. The word measures a life and an army with one stroke.

Common words & phrases

• 十分 very · extremely · quite
• 十年 ten years · decade
• 十万 one hundred thousand
• 十字 cross · the character ten
• 十二月 December
• 十足 full · complete · downright

Read the story behind the character

A child learns 十 before 百; 十分 is the “very” a review pins to a good meal. 十年 is the prison line in a court report, and 十万 the followers a small brand buys. 十字 marks the junction a driver turns at, and 十足 the discount a shop swears is real. The word counts from the abacus to the like.