Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon 花鳥風月
kachō fūgetsu4 characters31 strokes
花鳥風月 (kachō fūgetsu) means the beauties of nature, such as flowers, birds, wind and the moon, and a heart rich enough to enjoy them.
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Meaning 意味
What 花鳥風月 means
A Japanese four-character idiom, yojijukugo, read kachō fūgetsu.
LiterallyFlowers, birds, wind, moon.
花鳥風月 refers to the beautiful scenery of nature: flowers, birds, the wind and the moon. It also expresses a rich, sensitive heart that takes pleasure in them.
“Living in the countryside, I get to enjoy kachō fūgetsu every day.”
When people write it in Japan. It fits pieces about the beauty of nature through the seasons, such as spring blossoms or the autumn moon.
Japanese children know every kanji here by 2nd grade.
How to write it 書き方
Brush tips for 花鳥風月
Regular script (kaisho)
- In 花, bring the 7th stroke straight down, bend it right at the bottom, and flick up with an easy, open motion.
- In 鳥, turn the 7th stroke to the right, bring it down, and finish with a flick to the upper left. Keep the four dots at the bottom small.
- In 風, fit the inner part, the 3rd to the 9th strokes, small inside the outer frame.
Semi-cursive script (gyōsho)
- In 鳥, the leftmost of the four dots at the bottom ends in a point aimed up to the right, so the brush heads on toward the next dot.
- In 月, sweep the stroke on the left long down to the left and hook the right vertical to the upper left at the bottom. Keep the inner horizontals short.
- In 風, make the outer 几 shape wide. Bend its right vertical outward at the bottom and flick it up.
Stroke order
Follow the vermilion stroke, frame by frame.
Stroke order data: KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, CC BY-SA 3.0.
How to practice 練習
Trace first, then copy
- PrintPrint both pages at actual size, on US Letter or A4. Page 1 is the model. Page 2 is the tracing sheet.
- TraceTrace the outlines with a brush pen. Or lay thin hanshi paper over the page and trace with brush and ink.
- CopySet the model beside your paper and copy it stroke by stroke. Look at the model more than at your own paper.
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