When combined, 篆书 (zhuànshū) literally means “Seal Script,” a name that directly points to its most prominent and enduring use.
篆书 (zhuànshū) is more than just an old way of writing; it's a cornerstone of Chinese cultural identity and a symbol of unity. Its most famous form, the Small Seal Script (小篆, xiǎozhuàn), was standardized by China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, around 221 BC. This act of unifying the writing system was as important as standardizing currency and measurements. It created a single written language that could be understood across different dialects and regions, a crucial factor in holding the vast empire together for millennia. A useful comparison in Western culture might be to Roman Square Capitals, the formal script carved into monuments like the Colosseum or Trajan's Column. Both Seal Script and Roman Capitals are monumental, formal, and not intended for rapid, everyday use. They carry an air of permanence, power, and classical authority. Seeing either script immediately transports you to an ancient empire and evokes a sense of grandeur and history. The continued use of Seal Script in China reflects deep cultural values like reverence for history (历史, lìshǐ) and tradition (传统, chuántǒng). The practice of writing it is a meditative art form that connects the artist to thousands of years of calligraphers before them.
While nobody writes their shopping lists in Seal Script, it is far from obsolete. You will encounter it in several key contexts:
Its connotation is almost always formal, artistic, and traditional. It is never used in casual or informal communication.