huà
to draw; paint (pictures)
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我喜欢画画。
wǒ xǐhuān huàhuà.
I like to draw.
他正在画一幅画。
tā zhèngzài huà yīfù huà.
He is drawing a picture.
这幅画很漂亮。
zhè fú huà hěn piàoliang.
This painting is very beautiful.
素描 (sùmiáo)
sketch
写生 (xiěshēng)
sketch from life
The Chinese character 画 (huà) for "to draw" or "a picture" is composed of two parts: the radical 爫 (huǒ) on the left, which represents "fire", and the phonetic component 画 (huà) on the right, which is a simplified form of the character 畵 (huà), which originally meant "to draw" or "a picture". The combination of these two components suggests the idea of "drawing with fire", which is a reference to the ancient practice of using heated metal rods to draw on bamboo or wooden slips. This etymology provides a glimpse into the historical origins of writing and art in Chinese culture.
