琴棋书画 qín-qí-shū-huà the four arts of the Chinese scholar
(idiom) the four arts of the Chinese scholar (guqin, Go, calligraphy and painting); (by extension) the accomplishments of a well-educated person
How to remember 琴棋书画: 琴 stringed instrument + 棋 chess + 书 book + 画 drawing = the four arts of the Chinese scholar.
Characters
How it is used
- The four classical scholarly arts - zither, Go, calligraphy, painting - 她琴棋书画样样精通 (tā qín qí shū huà yàngyàng jīngtōng) she's accomplished in all the refined arts.
- A set idiom evoking the cultivated ideal of a traditional gentleman/lady; used to praise all-round refinement.
- Cultural-literary register; the 琴 here means the guqin specifically, and 棋 means weiqi (Go).