Onyomi: ヒツ · Kunyomi: ふで · Meanings: handwriting, painting brush, writing, writing brush
Kanji for handwriting, painting brush, writing, writing brush
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筆 has the bamboo radical ⺮ on top, because traditional writing brushes were made from bamboo. Below is 聿, which represents a hand holding a writing tool. A bamboo tool used by hand for writing became the meaning brush. From this, 筆 came to mean writing brush or pen.
A bamboo writing tool held in the hand is 筆.
Imagine holding a bamboo (⺮) brush in your hand (聿), dipping it in ink and writing on paper. That writing tool is 筆.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 筆 | ふで | writing brush, paintbrush, pen | common JLPT-N3 Noun |
| 筆記 | ひっき | (taking) notes, copying | common JLPT-N2 Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb, Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no' |
| 筆者 | ひっしゃ | writer, author | common JLPT-N2 Noun |
| 筆跡 | ひっせき | handwriting | common Noun, Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no' |
| 筆記用具 | ひっきようぐ | writing implement, writing tool | common Noun |
| 筆舌 | ひつぜつ | written and spoken words, description | Noun |
| 筆致 | ひっち | stroke of the brush, touch | Noun |
| 筆舌に尽くしがたい | ひつぜつにつくしがたい | beyond description | Expressions (phrases, clauses, etc.), I-adjective (keiyoushi) |
| 筆まめ | ふでまめ | good correspondent, ready writer | Noun, Na-adjective (keiyodoshi) |
| 筆不精 | ふでぶしょう | poor correspondent, apparent disdain of (or trouble with) writing, someone who appears to dislike (or be poor at) writing | Na-adjective (keiyodoshi), Noun |