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

成 is the thing brought to completion. The 易經 reads it as the settle of a matter, and the histories use 成功 for the campaign that actually ended. The character once showed a weapon and a man, the deed done. It is the finish that makes the effort legible.

Common words & phrases

• 成功 success · succeed
• 完成 complete · finish
• 成长 grow · grow up
• 成绩 result · grade
• 成就 achievement
• 成为 become

Read the story behind the character

成 is the daily yes-to-done: 成功 the pass, 完成 the form, 成长 the child, 成绩 the grade. 成就 is the career summed up, 成为 the thing you turned into. It names the arrival and the becoming, the result and the road, usually before the celebration.