艺术
art
yìshù
What does 艺术 mean?
艺术 (yìshù) is a noun meaning 'art' — the creative disciplines such as painting, music, dance, sculpture, film, and literature, as well as artistic skill or aesthetic quality in general. It is neutral in register and appears in both everyday and academic contexts. Beyond the fine arts, Chinese uses 艺术 figuratively to describe any activity done with great skill and craft, as in 说话是一门艺术 ('speaking is an art').
It also works as an attributive adjective meaning 'artistic,' as in 艺术家 (artist) or 艺术品 (artwork). One difference from English: where English distinguishes 'art' from 'the arts' or 'artistic,' Chinese 艺术 covers all three uses with the same word, its meaning fixed by the surrounding compound or context.
Character breakdown
skill; craft; art
technique; method; art
Memory hook: Two characters both meaning 'skill/craft' stacked together — refined skill elevated into art.
Measure word for 艺术
Example sentences
她从小就喜欢艺术。
Tā cóngxiǎo jiù xǐhuan yìshù.
She has loved art since she was little.
neutral
这幅画是一件真正的艺术品。
Zhè fú huà shì yí jiàn zhēnzhèng de yìshùpǐn.
This painting is a true work of art.
neutral
跟人打交道也是一门艺术。
Gēn rén dǎ jiāodào yě shì yì mén yìshù.
Getting along with people is also an art.
spoken
这座城市有丰富的艺术传统。
Zhè zuò chéngshì yǒu fēngfù de yìshù chuántǒng.
This city has a rich artistic tradition.
written
Common phrases with 艺术
Synonyms
美术 refers specifically to the visual/fine arts — painting, drawing, sculpture. 艺术 is the broad umbrella covering all creative disciplines including music, dance, and film.
Don't confuse 艺术 with
FAQ
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