The Calligrapher — Xiānyú Shū 鲜于枢

Yuan master of fluent running and cursive script.

Yuan calligrapher (1246–1302), master of running script/cursive script — known for 《石鼓歌》. Yuan dynasty

Cultural Story

只 was a measure and a limit. As 隻 it counted one of a pair -- a single shoe, a lone bird; as 祇 it meant "only". A traveler 只身 walked alone, with no companion on the road. The word narrowed the world to one: one thing, one person, one among the many that might have been. It is the stroke that singles out.

Common words & phrases

• 只有 only · only if
• 只要 as long as · provided
• 只是 only · merely
• 只好 have to · can only
• 船只 ships · vessels

Read the story behind the character

A traveler says 只要 he works, the loan clears; a ferry watches the 船只 in the harbor. He 只好 wait, for the road is closed; she says it was 只是 a mistake. The word does the day's limiting -- the condition, the lone ship, the forced wait, the mere error. It narrows each sentence to what is single, necessary, or only what it claims to be.