座
seat; base; stand; (bound form) constellation; (archaic) suffix used in a respectful form of address (e.g. 師座|师座[shi1 zuo4])
Closest English meanings
seat·base
The Calligrapher — Zhāng Ruìtú 张瑞图
Ming cursive master of angular, idiosyncratic brushwork.
Ming calligrapher (1570–1641), master of running script/cursive script — known for 《后赤壁赋》. Ming dynasty
Cultural Story
座 is the seat of honor, and the 座右銘 the line a man like 崔瑗 kept carved at the right of his desk to scold him gently each morning. The character is a place claimed and kept — a mountain, a temple, a chair no one else may take.
Common words & phrases
- 座位 seat
- 讲座 lecture
- 座谈 forum · discussion
- 一座 a - measure word for mountains/buildings
- 座右铭 motto
Read the story behind the character
座位 is the window you grabbed on the train, 讲座 the talk a department tweets about, 一座 the counter you drop before a bridge or a block of flats. The motto has moved to the phone lock screen, but the seat and the count of things that sit still remain.
Own this character
Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Zhāng Ruìtú 张瑞图, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.