Editing Regular script

{{Short description|Style for writing Chinese characters}}
{{Redirect|Kaiti|the suburb of Gisborne, New Zealand|Kaiti, New Zealand}}
{{Redirect|Kaishu|the city in North Korea|Haeju}}
{{Redirect|Kaisho|the sumo wrestler|Kaishō Asaki}}
{{Infobox writing system
| name = Regular script
| type = [[Logographic]]
| time = {{circa|2nd century}}{{snd}}present
| fam1 = [[Oracle bone script]]
| fam2 = [[Small seal script]]
| fam3 = [[Clerical script]]
| children =
* [[Ming typefaces]]
* [[Fangsong]]
| sample = KaishuOuyangxun.jpg
| imagesize = 200px
| unicode = {{ubli
 | [https://unicode.org/charts/PDF/U4E00.pdf U+4E00–U+9FFF] {{nwr|CJK Unified Ideographs}} {{nwr|(most common)}}
 | ''([[CJK Unified Ideographs#CJK Unified Ideographs blocks|full list]])''
}}
| ipa-note = no
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| pic = Kaishu.png
| picsize = 100px
| piccap = "Kaishu" written in [[Traditional characters|traditional]] (left) and [[simplified characters|simplified]] (right) forms
| s = 楷书
| t = 楷書
| l = model script
| p = kǎishū
| w = {{tonesup|kʻai3-shu1}}
| j = kaai2 syu1
| y = kaái syū
| gd = kai2 xu1
| s2 = 真书
| t2 = 真書
| l2 = real script
| p2 = zhēnshū
| w2 = {{tonesup|chên1-shu1}}
| j2 = zan1 syu1
| y2 = jān syū
| gd2 = zen1 xu1
| c3 = 正楷
| l3 = correct model
| p3 = zhèngkǎi
| w3 = {{tonesup|chêng4-k'ai3}}
| j3 = zing3 kaai2
| y3 = jing kaái
| gd3 = jing3 kai2
| s4 = 楷体
| t4 = 楷體
| l4 = model form
| p4 = kǎitǐ
| w4 = {{tonesup|k'ai3-t'i3}}
| j4 = kaai2 tai2
| y4 = kaái tái
| gd4 = kai2 tei2
| s5 = 正书
| t5 = 正書
| l5 = correct script
| p5 = zhèngshū
| w5 = {{tonesup|chêng4-shu1}}
| j5 = zing3 syu1
| y5 = jing syū
| gd5 = jing3 xu1
| kanji = 楷書
| hiragana = かいしょ
| romaji = Kaisho
| qn = {{ubl|khải thư|chữ khải}}
| hn = {{ubl|楷書|𡨸楷}}
}}
{{Table Hanzi}}
The '''regular script'''{{efn|name=names}} is the newest of the major [[Chinese script styles]], emerging during the [[Three Kingdoms]] period {{circa|230&nbsp;CE}}, and stylistically mature by the 7th century. It is the most common style used in modern text. In its traditional form it is the third-most common in publishing after the [[Ming typefaces|Ming]] and [[East Asian Gothic typeface|Gothic]] types used exclusively in print.<ref>{{Citation |title=Chinese Writing |work=Asia Society |url=https://asiasociety.org/education/chinese-writing |access-date=2023-10-01}}</ref>

== History ==
The ''Xuanhe Calligraphy Manual'' ({{zhi|t=宣和書譜}}) credits {{ill|Wang Cizhong|zh|王次仲}} with creating the regular script, based on the [[clerical script]] of the early [[Han dynasty]] (202&nbsp;BCE{{snd}}220&nbsp;CE). It became popular during the [[Eastern Han]] and Three Kingdoms periods,{{sfn|Qiu|2000|p=143}} with [[Zhong Yao]] ({{circa|151}}{{snd}}230&nbsp;BC),{{sfn|Qiu|2000|p=142}} a calligrapher in the state of [[Cao Wei]] (220–266), being credited as its first master, known as the father of regular script. His famous works include the {{zhp|c=宣示表|p=Xuanshi biao}}, {{zhp|c=薦季直表|p=Jianjizhi biao}}, and {{zhp|t=力命表|p=Liming biao}}. Palaeographer [[Qiu Xigui]]{{sfn|Qiu|2000|p=143}} describes the script in ''Xuanshi biao'' as:
{{blockquote|...clearly emerging from the womb of early period semi-cursive script. If one were to write the tidily written variety of early period semi-cursive script in a more dignified fashion and were to use consistently the pause technique [({{zhi|c=頓|p=dùn}})], used to reinforce the beginning or ending of a stroke when ending horizontal strokes, a practice which already appears in early period semi-cursive script, and further were to make use of right-falling strokes with thick feet, the result would be a style of calligraphy like that in the "Xuān shì biǎo".}}

However, very few wrote in this script at the time other than a few literati; most continued writing in the neo-clerical script, or a hybrid form of semi-cursive and neo-clerical.{{sfn|Qiu|2000|p=143}} The regular script did not become dominant until the 5th century during the early [[Northern and Southern period]] (420–589); there was a variety of the regular script which emerged from neo-clerical as well as regular scripts{{sfn|Qiu|2000|p=146}} known as {{zhl|t=魏楷|p=Wèikǎi|l=[[Northern Wei|Wei]] regular}} or {{zhl|t=魏碑|p=Wèibēi|l=Wei stele}}. Thus, the regular script is descended both from the early semi-cursive style as well as from the neo-clerical script.

The script is considered to have become stylistically mature during the [[Tang dynasty]] (618–907), with the most famous and oft-imitated calligraphers of that period being the early Tang's Four Great Calligraphers ({{lang|zh|初唐四大家}}): [[Ouyang Xun]], [[Yu Shinan]], [[Chu Suiliang]], and [[Xue Ji]], as well as the tandem of [[Yan Zhenqing]] and [[Liu Gongquan]].

During the [[Northern Song]] (960–1127), [[Emperor Huizong of Song|Emperor Huizong]] created an iconic style known as {{zhl|c=瘦金體|p=shòujīntǐ|l=slender gold}}.<ref>{{Citation |title=Huizong |work=Encyclopædia Britannica |year=2024 |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Huizong}}</ref> During the [[Yuan dynasty]] (1271–1368), [[Zhao Mengfu]] (1254–1322) also became known for his own calligraphic style for the regular script, called {{zhp|t=趙體|p=Zhaoti}}.

92 rules governing the fundamental structure of regular script were established during the [[Qing dynasty]] (1644–1912); the calligrapher {{ill|Huang Ziyuan|zh|黄自元}} wrote a guidebook illustrating these rules, with four characters provided as an example for each.
{{Clear left}}

== Characteristics ==
The [[Eight Principles of Yong|Eight Principles of ''Yong'']] encapsulate varieties of most strokes that appear in the regular script.{{sfn|Li|2009|p=65}} Regular script characters with dimensions larger than {{cvt|5|cm|in|sigfig=1}} are usually classified as 'large' ({{zhi|c=大楷|p=dàkǎi}}); those smaller than {{cvt|2|cm|in|sigfig=1}} are usually classified as 'small' ({{zhi|c=小楷|p=xiǎokǎi}}), and those in between are 'medium' ({{zhi|c=中楷|p=zhōngkǎi}}).{{sfn|Li|2009|p=31}}

Notable works written in regular script include the Northern and Southern-era ''Records of Yao Boduo Sculpturing'' ({{lang|zh|姚伯多造像記}}) and ''Tablet of General Guangwu'' ({{lang|zh|廣武將軍碑}}), the Sui-era ''Tablet of Longzang Temple'' ({{lang|zh|龍藏寺碑}}), ''Tombstone Record of Sui Xiaoci'' ({{lang|zh|蘇孝慈墓誌}}), and ''Tombstone Record of Beauty Tong'' ({{lang|zh|董美人墓誌}}), and the Tang-era ''Sweet Spring at Jiucheng Palace'' ({{lang|zh|九成宮醴泉銘}}).

== Derivative styles ==
* [[Fangsong]] typefaces are based on a printed style which developed during the [[Song dynasty]] (970–1279)
* The most common printed typeface styles, [[Ming typefaces|Ming]] and [[East Asian Gothic typeface|sans-serif]], are based on Fangsong
* Japanese textbook typefaces ({{lang|ja|教科書体}}; {{tlit|ja|kyōkashotai}}) are based on regular script, but modified so that they appear to be written with a pencil or pen. They also follow the ''[[jōyō kanji]]'' character forms.
* The [[bopomofo]] semi-syllabograms are nearly always written using regular script strokes.

== Computer typefaces ==
{{Further|List of CJK fonts#Regular script}}

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode=packed heights=250px style="text-align:left">
宣示表.jpg|''Xuanshi Biao'' by [[Zhong Yao]], written during the early transition from [[clerical script]] to regular script
Sheng jiao xu.jpg| ''Sheng Jiao Xu'' by Chu Suiliang,{{efn|name=shengjiaoxu}} an example of regular script
</gallery>

== Notes ==
{{Notelist|refs=
{{efn|name=names|Regular script is referred to by several related names in Chinese, including {{zhi|t=楷書|s=楷书|p=kǎishū|first=t}}, {{zhi|c=正楷|p=zhèngkǎi}}, {{zhi|t=真書|s=真书|p=zhēnshū|first=t}}, {{zhi|t=楷體|s=楷体|p=kǎitǐ|first=t}}, and {{zhi|t=正書|s=正书|p=zhèngshū|first=t}}. It is sometimes called ''block script'',{{sfn|Gao|2009|p=41}} ''standard script'', or ''square style'' in English.}}
{{efn|name=shengjiaoxu|<poem>{{lang|lzh|其數然而天地苞
乎陰陽而易識者
以其有象也陰陽
處乎天地而難窮}}</poem>}}
}}

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Citation |last=Gao |first=James Zheng |title=Historical Dictionary of Modern China (1800–1949) |year=2009 |place=Lanham, MD |publisher=Scarecrow |isbn=978-0-810-84930-3}}
* {{Citation |last=Li |first=Wendan |title=Chinese Writing and Calligraphy |publisher=University of Hawai‘i Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-8248-3364-0 |location=Honolulu}}
* {{Citation |last=Qiu |first=Xigui |title=Chinese Writing |year=2000 |author-mask=Qiu Xigui (裘锡圭) |orig-date=1988 |place=Berkeley |publisher=Society for the Study of Early China and The Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California |isbn=978-1-55729-071-7 |author-link=Qiu Xigui |translator-last=Mattos |translator-first=Gilbert L. |translator-last2=Norman |translator-first2=Jerry}}
{{Refend}}

{{Clear}}
{{Chinese Calligraphies}}
{{Writing systems}}

[[Category:Chinese script style]]