HSK · Level 69
75 words
Chinese word
文人
Pronunciation
Pinyinwén rén
Meaning
- nounwriter
Example
他是个有名的文人。tā shì gè yǒu míng de wén rén
He is a famous writer.
More examples
文人笔下的人物常富有文化气质。wén rén bǐ xià de rén wù cháng fù yǒu wén huà qì zhì
Characters from a writer's pen often have a cultured quality.
Core concept
A literary writer whose work reflects learning, cultural refinement, and a cultivated way of life.
Common phrases
文人笔下wén rén bǐ xià
from a writer's pen
文人作品wén rén zuò pǐn
a writer's works
Similar words
作者zuò zhě: The person who creates or writes a work, such as a book, article, or song.
作家zuò jiā: A professional writer who mainly writes novels, criticism, or other literary works.
文学家wén xué jiā: A specialist who creates or studies literature.
诗人shī rén: A person who writes and publishes poetry.
Definition in Chinese
以写作或从事文学创作为主要活动、具有一定文学修养和文化气质的人。yǐ xiě zuò huò cóng shì wén xué chuàng zuò wéi zhǔ yào huó dòng jù yǒu yí dìng wén xué xiū yǎng hé wén huà qì zhì dì rén
Word origin
文 (wén, "writing and culture") + 人 (rén, "person") forms a term for a person defined by literary work and learning.
Usage tips
- English writer can describe anyone who writes professionally, while this term can suggest a more literary and educated figure, so the context may sound more formal than the English word alone.
Opposites
- 俗人sú réncommonernoun
Related words
- 文人墨宝wén rén mò bǎoa writer's calligraphy and paintingsnoun
- 文人笔记wén rén bǐ jìa writer's notesnoun