七言

qīyán
noun

Meanings

  1. 1 seven-character (poetic line)
  2. 2 seven-syllable verse form

Examples

HSK 6
Zhè shǒu shī shì qīyán juéjù.
This poem is a seven-character quatrain.
HSK 7-9
Dù Fǔ de qīyánlǜshī xiě de hěn hǎo.
Du Fu's seven-character regulated verse is superb.

Tips

culture
七言 means a seven-character poetic line and, by extension, 七言诗 - poetry in seven-syllable lines. Rose to dominance in the Tang dynasty and remains the most familiar classical line length to modern readers.
memory
Count syllables: = 5, = 7. Famous opener 床前明月光 = five characters = 五言; a seven-character line would be 七言. The number is literally how many characters per line.

Stroke Order

yán