📖 Meaning
Describes calligraphy that is vivid, dynamic, and full of momentum, as if dragons and snakes are writhing beneath the brush. It is equivalent to the idiom "笔走龙蛇." The phrase is used to praise someone's exceptional skill and expressive power in calligraphy or writing.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from "Jin Ping Mei Cihua" (金瓶梅词话), a celebrated Ming Dynasty novel attributed to Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng (兰陵笑笑生). In Chapter 31, a character praises another person's broad learning and calligraphy, declaring, "With your extensive knowledge and the dragons and snakes beneath your brush, you are truly a great talent." The metaphor of dragons and snakes to convey the vitality of fine brushwork has deep roots in classical Chinese writings on calligraphy, where powerful strokes are likened to these sinuous, energetic creatures.
💡 Example Usage
老先生的书法笔底龙蛇，气势非凡，令人叹为观止。
The old gentleman's calligraphy flows with the power of dragons and snakes beneath his brush, its extraordinary vigor leaving viewers in awe.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 笔底龙蛇
- Pinyin: bǐ dǐ lóng shé
- Literal Translation: brush, beneath, dragon, snake
- Category: Skill
- Characters: 4