Semi-cursive script

Semi-cursive script
Type	Logographic
Languages	Old Chinese, Middle Chinese, Modern Chinese
Time period	Han Dynasty to present
Parent systems	Oracle bone script Seal script Clerical script Cursive script Semi-cursive script
Child systems	Regular script Zhuyin Simplified Chinese Chu Nom Khitan script Jurchen script Tangut script
Unicode range	4E00–9FFF, 3400–4DBF, 20000–2A6DF, 2A700–2B734, 2F00–2FDF, F900–FAFF

Semi-cursive script
Chinese characters of "Semi-cursive Script" in regular script (left) and semi-cursive script (right).
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	行書
Simplified Chinese	行书
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin xíng shū Bopomofo ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄕㄨ Wu Romanization ghaon平 sy平 Hakka Romanization hang11 su24 Yue: Cantonese Jyutping hang4 syu1 Southern Min Hokkien POJ hâng-su
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabet	1. hành thư 2. chữ hành
Hán-Nôm	1. 行書 2. 𡨸行
Korean name
Hangul	행서
Hanja	行書
Transcriptions Revised Romanization haengseo
Japanese name
Kanji	行書
Kana	ぎょうしょ
Transcriptions Romanization gyōsho

Semi-cursive script is a cursive style of Chinese characters. Because it is not as abbreviated as cursive, most people who can read regular script can read semi-cursive.

Also referred to in English both as running script and by its Mandarin Chinese name, xíngshū, it is derived from clerical script, and was for a long time after its development in the 1st centuries AD the usual style of handwriting.

Some of the best examples of semi-cursive can be found in the work of Wang Xizhi (321-379) of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.