The Calligrapher — Wèi Héng 卫恒

Jin calligrapher and theorist; author of the Four Script Forms and Their Force (Siti Shushi).

Jin calligrapher (), master of seal script/clerical script — known for 《四体书势》. Jin dynasty

Cultural Story

呼 sets 口 (mouth) with 乎 (a phonetic), to call, shout, or breathe. 莊子 pairs 呼吸 (breathe) with the cosmic wind, and 詩經 shepherds 呼唤 (call/summon) the strayed. A traveler 呼救 (cries for help) in peril, and a ruler's 呼吁 (appeal) rallies the realm. The character is the outward breath of voice and life—warning, summoning, pleading—the mouth reaching beyond itself to others across distance and danger alike in the world.

Common words & phrases

• 呼吸 breathe · breath · respiration
• 呼唤 call · summon · hail
• 呼喊 shout · cry out · call
• 招呼 greet · say hello · call
• 呼吁 appeal · call on
• 呼救 call for help · cry for help

Read the story behind the character

You 呼吸 (breathe) calmly in yoga, and a lost hiker 呼救 (calls for help). A friend 呼唤 (calls/summons) you from the crowd, while fans 呼喊 (shout/cry out) a name at the concert. We 招呼 (greet) neighbors with a nod, and charities 呼吁 (appeal/call on) donors after a disaster. The character carries modern breath and voice—from meditation apps to emergency alerts, greetings to global pleas for help.