临池学书 — “To diligently practice calligraphy”
临池学书 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to diligently practice calligraphy”. To devote oneself to learning calligraphy with great perseverance. Literally, “Practicing calligraphy by the ink pond; learning calligraphy by the inkwell”.
临池学书 Pronunciation and Pinyin
临池学书 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 临池学书
Origin and Story of 临池学书
In the Jin Dynasty, the renowned calligrapher Wang Xizhi encouraged his son, Wang Xianzhi, to learn calligraphy from an early age. After a period of practice, Wang Xianzhi wrote the character "大" (dà, meaning "big") and presented it to his father for inspection.
Wang Xizhi simply added a dot to the character, turning it into "太" (tài, meaning "too" or "very"). Puzzled, Wang Xianzhi asked his mother about it. His mother explained that only that single dot represented true mastery and profound skill, achievable through immense practice.
Taking his mother's words to heart, Wang Xianzhi devoted himself to even more intensive practice, reportedly practicing so diligently that he emptied 18 large water vats at home, symbolizing his immense dedication and effort in mastering the art of calligraphy.
This story illustrates the importance of perseverance and hard work in acquiring a skill.
Idioms Related to 临池学书
More idioms starting with 临
- lín临shì事zhì制biàn变adapt to changing circumstances
- lín临shì事ér而jù惧to be cautious when confronting a task
- lín临jūn军duì对lěi垒confront an adversary in a contested situation
- lín临jūn军duì对zhèn阵to face the enemy in battle
- lín临bié别zèng赠yán言parting words of advice
- lín临bié别zèng赠yǔ语parting words of advice
- lín临wēi危xià下shí石kick someone when they're down
- lín临wēi危bù不luàn乱remain calm in danger
- lín临wēi危bù不jù惧face danger fearlessly
- lín临wēi危bù不dàn惮fearless in the face of danger
- lín临wēi危bù不náo挠unyielding in the face of danger
- lín临wēi危bù不gǒu苟Maintain integrity in the face of danger
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Open the tool →Questions about 临池学书
What does 临池学书 mean?
临池学书 (lín chí xué shū) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to diligently practice calligraphy”.
How do you pronounce 临池学书?
临池学书 is pronounced lín chí xué shū in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 临池学书 literally mean?
Literally, 临池学书 means “Practicing calligraphy by the ink pond; learning calligraphy by the inkwell”. It is used to mean “to diligently practice calligraphy”.
Where does 临池学书 come from?
临池学书 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 临池学书?
临：靠近，挨着；池：砚池；书：书法。指刻苦练习书法。