King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Chinese symbol for “formalism”

形式主义
xíng shì zhǔ yì
Traditional: 形式主義
formalism (in philosophy, art, or literary theory); excessive concern with form over substance

The closest CC-CEDICT match for formalism is 形式主义 (xíng shì zhǔ yì), defined as: formalism (in philosophy, art, or literary theory); excessive concern with form over substance.

Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.

Characters and stroke order

形 xíng
form, shape; to appear; to describe; to look
radical 59 ⼺ · 7 strokes
式 shì
formula, pattern, rule, style, system
radical 56 ⼷ · 6 strokes
主 zhǔ
to own; to host; master; host; lord
radical 3 ⼂ · 5 strokes
义 yì
right conduct, propriety; justice
radical 3 ⼂ · 3 strokes

Traditional forms

Related words

Other words that share a character with 形式主义.

WordPinyinMeaning
形成xíng chéngto form; to take shape
形式xíng shìouter appearance; form
形象xíng xiàngimage; form
形势 (形勢)xíng shìcircumstances; situation
情形qíng xingcircumstances; situation; state of affairs
形态 (形態)xíng tàishape; form
方式fāng shìway; method; manner; mode; pattern (of behavior etc); 种 (zhǒng)
正式zhèng shìformal; official
主要zhǔ yàomain; principal; major; primary
意义 (意義)yì yìsense; meaning

See also: Japanese symbol for “formalism”.

Data: CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0); Unihan Database (Unicode License v3); Make Me a Hanzi (Arphic Public License (graphics.txt); LGPL-3.0-or-later (dictionary.txt)); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.

Last posts

  1. Best Unsharpened Tai Chi Jian for Forms and Training
  2. How Heavy Should a Tai Chi Sword Be for Proper Training
  3. Best Wooden Tai Chi Swords for Training and Performance
  4. Collapsible Tai Chi Swords in Parks and Public Transit
  5. Are Telescopic Tai Chi Swords Good for Practice
  6. Best Tai Chi Swords for Beginners and How to Choose Yours
  7. Choosing the Right Tai Chi Sword Length for Your Height
  8. Choosing Your First Tai Chi Sword Wood or Metal
  9. Selecting a Bokken for Outdoor Training
  10. Are Unvarnished Bokken Better for Grip Than Lacquered Ones