Understanding Chinese Characters - History, Evolution & Classification
Chinese characters may look confusing, but they are organized and structured according to well-defined rules. Learning Chinese characters can enrich your understanding of the spoken language as well as opening the gateway to the rich treasure of Chinese literature. An understanding of Chinese characters will broaden your knowledge of Mandarin and Chinese culture.
Simplified Chinese Characters
Simplified Chinese characters are used in Mainland China, Singapore, and Malaysia. Simplified characters were introduced in the 1950s in an effort to reduce illiteracy.
Simplified Chinese characters are used in Mainland China, Singapore, and Malaysia. Simplified characters were introduced in the 1950s in an effort to reduce illiteracy.
Stroke Order for Chinese Characters
Chinese characters are written with specific stroke orders to minimize hand movement and make the characters more beautiful.
Chinese characters are written with specific stroke orders to minimize hand movement and make the characters more beautiful.
Ren - Mandarin Chinese Character Profile
The Mandarin Chinese character meaning person shows the two legs and torso of a human body.
The Mandarin Chinese character meaning person shows the two legs and torso of a human body.
Chinese Character Profiles
Chinese characters have a long history, and have usually passed through several stages to the modern form. Understanding the history of Chinese characters can deepen our understanding of their meaning and their place in Chinese culture.
Chinese characters have a long history, and have usually passed through several stages to the modern form. Understanding the history of Chinese characters can deepen our understanding of their meaning and their place in Chinese culture.
Clarifying Chinese Characters
Chinese characters have many homonyms, so it sometimes difficult to know which character a speaker is using. If there is confusion, a simple pattern can be used to clarify which Chinese character is being used.
Chinese characters have many homonyms, so it sometimes difficult to know which character a speaker is using. If there is confusion, a simple pattern can be used to clarify which Chinese character is being used.
Learning to Write Chinese Characters
The serious student of Mandarin Chinese should learn how to write Chinese characters. This knowledge will give greater understanding of the Mandarin language as well as Chinese culture. Knowing how Chinese characters are written also allows the student to use a Chinese dictionary.
The serious student of Mandarin Chinese should learn how to write Chinese characters. This knowledge will give greater understanding of the Mandarin language as well as Chinese culture. Knowing how Chinese characters are written also allows the student to use a Chinese dictionary.
Display Chinese Characters on Windows XP
If your web browser is not displaying Chinese characters, support for this feature must be installed. Here are the instructions for displaying Chinese characters on Windows XP.
If your web browser is not displaying Chinese characters, support for this feature must be installed. Here are the instructions for displaying Chinese characters on Windows XP.
Write Chinese Characters Using Pinyin
Pinyin can be used to write Chinese characters using Microsoft's New Phonetic Input Method.
Pinyin can be used to write Chinese characters using Microsoft's New Phonetic Input Method.
Setting Up Windows XP for Mandarin Input
Before you can write Chinese characters on your computer you must set it up. These instructions will allow you to use Chinese as an input language on Microsoft's Windows XP operating system.
Before you can write Chinese characters on your computer you must set it up. These instructions will allow you to use Chinese as an input language on Microsoft's Windows XP operating system.
Zao - Mandarin Chinese Character Profile
Zao means "morning." The Chinese character for zao is is a pictogram showing the sun rising over a soldier's helmet.
Zao means "morning." The Chinese character for zao is is a pictogram showing the sun rising over a soldier's helmet.
The Six Principals of Chinese Characters
Chinese characters can be divided into six categories: Pictographs, Indicatives, Ideatives, Harmonics, Transmissives, and Borrowed Words.
Chinese characters can be divided into six categories: Pictographs, Indicatives, Ideatives, Harmonics, Transmissives, and Borrowed Words.
Mu - Mandarin Chinese Character Profile
The Mandarin Chinese character mu is a radical as well as an independent character. It is a pictograph representing a tree.
The Mandarin Chinese character mu is a radical as well as an independent character. It is a pictograph representing a tree.
Jia - Mandarin Chinese Character Profile
The Mandarin Chinese character Jia is made up of two radicals - Shi and Mian. Jia means 'family' or 'house' in English.
The Mandarin Chinese character Jia is made up of two radicals - Shi and Mian. Jia means 'family' or 'house' in English.
Hao - Mandarin Chinese Character Profile
The Mandarin Chinese character Hao is made up of two radicals - Nu and Zi. Hao means 'good' in English, and also functions as an intensifier.
The Mandarin Chinese character Hao is made up of two radicals - Nu and Zi. Hao means 'good' in English, and also functions as an intensifier.
Ni - Mandarin Chinese Character Profile
The Mandarin Chinese character for 'you' is made up of a combination of characters representing a person who has equal stature.
The Mandarin Chinese character for 'you' is made up of a combination of characters representing a person who has equal stature.
Wo - Mandarin Chinese Character Profile
The Mandarin Chinese character meaning 'I' or 'me' is made up of the radical for sword, and depicts a hand holding a sword.
The Mandarin Chinese character meaning 'I' or 'me' is made up of the radical for sword, and depicts a hand holding a sword.