📖 Meaning
To complete a piece of writing, calligraphy, or painting with a single stroke of the brush. It describes someone who works with remarkable speed and effortless skill. The phrase is typically used to praise mastery in creative or literary work.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from a story recorded in 'Tie Wei Shan Cong Tan' (《铁围山丛谈》) by Cai Tao of the Song Dynasty. According to the account, a renowned calligrapher was asked by an insistent guest to write the characters for 'Guishan' (龟山). The master laughed, calmly picked up his brush, and completed the calligraphy in a single fluid motion. This anecdote was later used to extol spontaneous, effortless artistic achievement.
💡 Example Usage
他文思敏捷，这篇千字文章竟一挥而成。
His thoughts flow so swiftly that he dashed off this thousand-word essay in a single sitting.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 一挥而成
- Pinyin: yī huī ér chéng
- Literal Translation: one, wave (brush), and, succeed
- Category: Skill
- Characters: 4