Here’s a free resource for learning Chinese. This series focuses on idioms and proverbs, useful for various expressions. Today’s topic is 「銀鉤蠆尾」, as shown below.
The idiom 「銀鉤蠆尾」 and its usage are explored below. Learn its meaning and applications here.
It is a metaphor for the hook and pick strokes in calligraphy, which are vigorous and powerful, like silver hooks and scorpion tails. One theory is that the scorpion’s tail refers to the scorpion’s tail, which can be rolled up and used to write the last strokes of characters such as “乙”, “丁”, and “亭”. The pen must be held still before flicking out, so the strokes appear vigorous and powerful.
The Mandarin pronunciation of this idiom is :
yín gōu chài wěi
while its Cantonese pinyin is :
ngan2/ngan4 ngau1 chaai3 mei5
The sheer number of Chinese idioms and their varied meanings make them fascinating to study. Let these materials assist you as you advance your Chinese skills and understanding.
