大笔
dàbǐ · HSK 7
Large
🖊️ 大 (big) + 笔 (pen/stroke) = a big pen stroke, something large-scale
In Chinese, 大笔 literally combines big and pen. It often describes a large sum of money (a big stroke of the pen signing a check) or a master calligrapher's bold brushwork.
大 — pictograph of a person with arms outstretched
大 is a pictograph showing a person standing with arms and legs spread wide. The outstretched arms suggest 'big' or 'great', extending from the literal image of a large stance to abstract meanings like important or grand. It is one of the oldest characters, found on oracle bones.
笔 — bamboo radical 竹 (⺮) + 毛 (hair/fur)
Originally written 筆, depicting a writing brush: 竹 (bamboo) on top for the shaft and 毛 (hair) below for the bristles. Early brushes were bamboo handles tipped with animal hair. The simplified form 笔 keeps the same logic, just replacing the lower component directly with 毛.