You need to know about 6, characters to be familiar with business and place names, restaurant menu items, etc. That gives you a moderate to advanced level of fluency. One of the changes the Chinese language has gone through is the simplification of its characters to create a standard system and encourage literacy. It means that students don't need to use as many strokes to create the words and hence, they have less complicated characters to remember. Over 2, Chinese characters have been simplified since Since Simplified Chinese started in the s, older people are more familiar with the traditional characters and younger people with the simplified.
Knowing whether to learn Traditional or Simplified Chinese characters depends on where you are and which dialect the people speak. On the other hand, Taiwanese people speak Mandarin and use Traditional Chinese. If you study Chinese in a China university , you too will learn Simplified Chinese. Generally, Simplified Chinese is what students of Mandarin learn. It is easier to learn than Traditional Chinese. Another benefit is that knowing both the Mandarin dialect and Simplified Chinese characters will allow students to converse with almost anyone, verbally or in writing.
They can get dictionaries with either Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, or both. Chinese characters are written in the opposite direction from Western characters; that is, they are written in horizontal lines from right to left instead of left to right. However, people sometimes write them from right to left in vertical lines or left to right in horizontal lines.
Taiwanese people often write them vertically. The strokes in the characters themselves are drawn from certain directions so that they have a consistent appearance.
Writing Chinese characters is an art form that is also known as calligraphy. In fact, a student of Chinese characters even holds their pen or pencil differently so that the writing comes from the whole body rather than the wrist, elbow, or arm.
It is ideal to use a brush and ink to learn calligraphy or create striking signs that can also be decorative. An interesting benefit of learning how to write Chinese characters is that it develops one's dexterity, and it is not uncommon for students of Chinese characters to develop an interest in calligraphy. Even the Chinese art of ink and wash painting utilizes the skill of calligraphy to create elegant, flowing landscapes, sometimes with the addition of Chinese characters.
Understanding Chinese characters is incredibly helpful if you're learning from native speakers in China or conversing with them online. It leads to a deeper comprehension of the differences in meaning between words that sound or appear the same as well as cultural nuances that are best recognized in context.
Even two people who don't speak the same Chinese dialect can understand each other through writing. Understanding a bare minimum of 2, Chinese characters is essential to learning the language because it is so literary and visual.
Here are some fun facts about how many Chinese characters there are: The Dictionary of Chinese Variant Form has , characters. The Great Compendium of Chinese Characters has 54, characters. A good method to master them is to learn them step by step, according to their level of frequency. Also, every time learning a new character, make a list of different words where this character appears. On the other hand, if you are learning vocabulary, try to break down the word to analyze the meaning of each character on their own.
Pierre Cerchiaro is a contributing writer at TutorMing. He is a French expat working in Taiwan and has had both studying experience in China and Taiwan. He is passionate about the Chinese language and is a foodaholic.
Chinese Calligraphy: The art of writing. Only a culture as rich and dynamic as China's could develop a written language both beautiful in its content and in its form. Like what you've read? Don't miss out on more articles and news about Hutong School, the Chinese language, life in China and much more. Subscribe to our mailing list. Discover China and Chinese culture yourself!
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