绵里铁

綿裏鐵

miánlǐtiě

idiom

Meanings

1 soft on the outside but firm within
2 iron wrapped in silk (of calligraphy: gentle strokes with inner strength)

Characters

silk floss; soft

Examples

他的字有绵里铁的感觉，看似柔和其实有力。

Tā de zì yǒu miánlǐtiě de gǎnjué, kàn sì róuhé qíshí yǒulì.

His calligraphy has an iron-in-silk quality: gentle on the surface but strong underneath.

这位书法家的笔意是典型的绵里铁。

Zhè wèi shūfǎjiā de bǐyì shì diǎnxíng de miánlǐtiě.

This calligrapher's brushwork is a textbook example of iron wrapped in silk.

Tips

culture

A technical compliment in calligraphy criticism: strokes should look 柔 (soft) but hide 刚 (steel). Similar in spirit to 绵里藏针, which is more often used for people with a deceptively gentle manner.

Stroke Order

绵 mián

里 lǐ

铁 tiě