草書(そうしょ)

そうしょ
noun
cursive script (calligraphy style)
artlanguage
1. cursive script; grass script
The most abbreviated and flowing style of Chinese/Japanese calligraphy. Characters are highly simplified and strokes are often connected, making it difficult to read without specialized training.
草書(そうしょ)は読(よ)みにくい。
Cursive script is hard to read.
草書(そうしょ)で書(か)かれた手紙(てがみ)を解読(かいどく)する。
To decipher a letter written in cursive script.
ひらがなは漢字(かんじ)の草書(そうしょ)体(たい)から生(う)まれた文字(もじ)だ。
Hiragana are characters that evolved from the cursive forms of Chinese characters.

Composed of 草(そう) (grass, rough draft) + 書(しょ) (writing, script). Also called 草書体(そうしょたい). The most abbreviated of the five script styles. Key historical fact: Japanese hiragana developed from 草書(そうしょ) forms of 万葉仮名(まんようがな) characters — for example, あ derives from the 草書(そうしょ) of 安(あん), and は from 波(は). Common collocations: 草書(そうしょ)体(たい) (cursive style), 草書(そうしょ)で書(か)く (to write in cursive). While rarely used in modern daily life, 草書(そうしょ) remains important in 書道(しょどう) (calligraphy) and for reading historical documents.

Related Words

Compare: 楷書(かいしょ) (block script)
Compare: 行書(ぎょうしょ) (semi-cursive script)
Compare: 筆記体(ひっきたい) (cursive script)
general
Added 2026.3.24 22:59 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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