笔谈 (bǐtán): to communicate by writing notes…

Meanings

1 to communicate by writing notes (instead of speaking)
2 essays / sketches (in book titles)

Characters

笔

to talk; conversation

Examples

古代中日学者常用汉字笔谈交流。

Gǔdài Zhōng-Rì xuézhě cháng yòng Hànzì bǐtán jiāoliú.

Chinese and Japanese scholars in earlier eras often communicated by writing Chinese characters.

他听不见，我们只好笔谈。

Tā tīng bú jiàn, wǒmen zhǐhǎo bǐtán.

He can't hear, so we had to write notes back and forth.

Tips

history

Famous in book titles: Shen Kuo's 《梦溪笔谈》 (Mèngxī Bǐtán, 'Brush Talks from Dream Brook', c. 1088) is one of China's most influential scientific encyclopedias.

Stroke Order

笔 bǐ

谈 tán

Related Words

笔记 bǐjì HSK 2 #5,967

notes / to take notes

笔 bǐ HSK 2 #937

pen; writing brush / stroke (in writing characters)

笔迹 bǐjì #7,223

handwriting; penmanship / a person's writing style or hand

笔记本 bǐjìběn HSK 2 #4,770

notebook / laptop (computer)

笔录 bǐlù #11,035

written record / transcript / deposition / to take down notes

盗墓笔记 dàomùbǐjì

The Lost Tomb (Chinese web novel series by Nanpai Sanshu) / lit. tomb-robbing notes

毛笔字 máobǐzì

brush calligraphy / characters written with a writing brush

粉笔字 fěnbǐzì

chalk writing / chalk-written characters (on a blackboard)

钢笔字 gāngbǐzì

pen writing / fountain-pen / ballpoint handwriting / pen-written calligraphy (hard-pen script)

杂谈 zátán

miscellaneous discussion / essays / chats on various topics