下笔成章 — “To compose an article swiftly and effortlessly”
下笔成章 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to compose an article swiftly and effortlessly”. To have a ready pen and write with great fluency and brilliance. Literally, “put pen to paper, an essay is formed”.
Frequency
下笔成章 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 下xià
- 笔bǐ
- 成chéng
- 章zhāng
下笔成章 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 下笔成章
他才思敏捷，每次写作都能下笔成章，令人佩服。
He is quick-witted and able to compose articles effortlessly and brilliantly every time he writes, which is admirable.
Origin and Story of 下笔成章
During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Zhi, the youngest son of Cao Cao, was exceptionally intelligent. He had read extensively and was remarkably quick and skilled at writing essays.
Cao Cao, intending to test him, once declared that he himself could speak eloquently and compose articles instantly, even on the spot. After they finished touring the Bronze Sparrow Terrace, Cao Zhi swiftly penned the famous "Ode to the Bronze Sparrow Terrace" (Tongquetai Fu), earning high praise from Cao Cao and his companions.
Idioms Related to 下笔成章
Synonyms of 下笔成章
Antonyms of 下笔成章
More idioms starting with 下
- xià下bù不wéi为lì例not to be repeated
- xià下bu不liǎo了tái台unable to extricate oneself from an embarrassing situation
- xià下bù不lái来tái台unable to save face in public
- xià下lín临wú无dì地bottomless drop from a great height
- xià下lín临wú无jì际looking down upon a boundless depth
- xià下qiáo乔rù入yōu幽descend from good to bad
- xià下qiáo乔mù木rù入yōu幽gǔ谷descend from good to bad situation
- xià下qiáo乔qiān迁gǔ谷decline from prosperity to adversity
- xià下jǐng井tóu投shí石harm someone already in trouble
- xià下huí回fēn分jiě解To be continued
- xià下bǎn坂zǒu走wán丸roll effortlessly down a slope
- xià下sāi塞shàng上lóng聋blocked below, deaf above
Questions about 下笔成章
- What does 下笔成章 mean?
- 下笔成章 (xià bǐ chéng zhāng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to compose an article swiftly and effortlessly”.
- How do you pronounce 下笔成章?
- 下笔成章 is pronounced xià bǐ chéng zhāng in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 下笔成章 literally mean?
- Literally, 下笔成章 means “put pen to paper, an essay is formed”. It is used to mean “to compose an article swiftly and effortlessly”.
- Where does 下笔成章 come from?
- 下笔成章 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 下笔成章?
- 一挥动笔就写成文章。形容写文思敏捷。