Introduction to Traditional Chinese Characters

Contents Key Takeaways "Traditional" and "simplified" refer to two ways of writing Chinese characters, not two different spoken languages. Mainland China has used simplified characters, 简体字 (jiǎntǐzì), since reforms that began in the 1950s. Taiwan, Hong Kong, and many overseas Chinese communities still use traditional characters, 繁体字 (fántǐzì). Some characters were never simplified at all. These are called 传承字 (chuánchéngzì), or "unchanged characters." Which script you should learn depends on where you plan to live, work, or study, and on your academic goals. If you learned Chinese characters in Mainland China, you may be surprised to find that you can't read most of the text you see in Taiwan or Hong Kong. There's nothing wrong with your eyes — the simplified Chinese characters used on the Mainland and the traditional Chinese characters used elsewhere really are different. Traditional Chinese characters can contain dozens of strokes, which is one reason reformers created simplified equivalents. Read on to understand exactly how the two writing systems differ, how the split came about, and which one you should learn. Whether you study online or Learn Chinese in China through full immersion, understanding both scripts will deepen your grasp of the language. 字 01 Traditional vs. Simplified Chinese Characters: What's the Difference? First of all, "traditional" and "simplified" Chinese refer to the written language only. They do not describe the spoken, or "vernacular," language. Modern China has many spoken dialects, but written Chinese is not phonetic the way most modern languages are. People in Mainland China today write Chinese characters the same way no matter which dialect they speak. This means speakers of any of China's hundreds of often mutually unintelligible languages and dialects can write what they say in either script. "Traditional" and "simplified" describe the shape of the characters on the page, nothing more. Students who only study simplified Chinese are often unable to read ancient Chinese inscriptions. 地 02 Where Are Traditional Chinese Characters Used? Taiwan, Hong Kong & Beyond Officially starting in the 1950s, both the government and ordinary people in Mainland China adopted simplified Chinese characters. People in Taiwan and Hong Kong, however, have continued to use the traditional system to this day. Most Mainland Chinese immigrants who left before the reforms also still use traditional characters. This is why residents of Chinatowns around the world usually still read and write traditional Chinese. If you are choosing characters for a tattoo, our guide to Chinese tattoos covers popular characters and their meanings. Traditional Chinese characters carved in stone. 简 03 Why Did China Simplify Chinese Characters? 简体 vs. 繁体 Explained "Traditional Chinese" is sometimes called "unsimplified Chinese." In Mandarin, traditional characters are called 繁体字 (written fántǐzì in pīnyīn). In the 1950s, Mainland China's communist government began reforming the writing system by simplifying Chinese characters. The goal of these reforms was to reduce illiteracy by making characters easier to learn. The simplification process reduced the number of strokes needed to write each character, making correct Chinese stroke order quicker to master. The resulting characters are called simplified characters, or 简体字 (jiǎntǐzì). This video by EXPLORE MODE explains how Chinese characters evolved 例 04 Simplified vs. Traditional Chinese: 4 Side-by-Side Character Examples Let's look at some side-by-side examples to understand exactly how simplified and traditional Chinese characters differ. 爱 vs. 愛: "Love" in Simplified and Traditional Chinese Many people cite the character for "love" as an example of a character that changed some, but not too much. Its simplified form is 爱 (ài), while its traditional form is 愛. 爱 愛 Simplified vs Traditional The biggest difference is that the traditional character includes the character for "heart" (心, or xīn), while the simplified version does not. 心 often appears in characters associated with emotions, which explains its presence in "love." Supporters of traditional characters often point to 爱 as proof of the script's historical and cultural depth. Studying Chinese etymology reveals many similar stories hidden inside traditional forms. Comparing scripts side by side helps students remember both versions of a character. Many students prefer writing simplified characters because fewer strokes are involved. Others find that the pictographic elements in traditional characters hint at their meanings, which can actually make them easier to remember. 电 vs. 電: "Electricity" in Simplified and Traditional Chinese Another classic example is the character for electricity, written 电 (diàn) in simplified Chinese. 电 電 Simplified vs Traditional Here, the traditional character contains 雨 (yǔ), the character for rain, which is absent from the simplified version. The traditional word for electricity contains "rain" because people in ancient times associated electricity with thunderstorms. 开 vs. 開: "Open" in Simplified and Traditional Chinese "Open," written 开 (kāi) in simplified Chinese, is another interesting case. 开 開 Simplified vs Traditional The traditional character contains the traditional character for "door" (門), or 门 (mén) in simplified Chinese. This makes sense, since doors are things people frequently open — but in the simplified version, only the easier-to-write middle part remains. 书 vs. 書: "Book" in Simplified and Traditional Chinese The reformers had more methods than simply removing components. A good example of a less straightforward simplification is the character for "book," written 书 (shū) in simplified Chinese. 书 書 Simplified vs Traditional At first glance, these two versions look more or less unrelated. Look closely, though, and you might notice something similar about their overall shapes. That's because the simplified version is based on how calligraphers write the traditional character in 草书 (cǎoshū), an ancient cursive script used in Chinese calligraphy. The cursive form of 書 looks a lot like the modern 书, which explains the origin of this simplification. The connections between traditional characters and their simplified counterparts are not always obvious. 部 05 How Chinese Radicals Changed During Simplification Traditional characters are often challenging to learn, especially for students who started with simplified characters. This is because the reformers used a wide variety of methods to simplify them. Luckily, the reformers usually followed general rules when simplifying common radicals. For example, the traditional radical 車 was almost always written as 车 (chē, meaning "vehicle") in the simplified system. Unfortunately, there's no foolproof way to tell what a simplified character once looked like. It's also impossible to be completely sure of a character's simplified form just by looking at the traditional original. The good news is that the reformers didn't simplify all Chinese characters. Many characters already had relatively few strokes, so no changes were considered necessary. Characters that never changed are called 传承字 (chuánchéngzì), or "unchanged characters." Their existence explains why students of simplified Chinese can understand some — but not all — of the characters in a Taiwanese newspaper. Scroll to the end of this article to see a table of the 100 most common simplified and traditional Chinese characters. The ones that are identical in both columns are 传承字 (chuánchéngzì). 辩 06 Traditional vs. Simplified Chinese in Schools: A Heated Debate In recent years, the question of whether U.S. teachers should teach traditional or simplified Chinese script has become a heated, often politically charged debate. Many older teachers and school administrators from Taiwan or Hong Kong argue passionately for continuing to teach traditional characters. They believe these characters possess great historical and cultural value. Many school officials, students, and parents from Mainland China are equally passionate advocates for simplified characters. They argue that simplified characters are easier and more practical given Mainland China's increasing economic clout. Unfortunately for the traditional camp, teaching simplified characters is becoming more common in the U.S. In 2007, a Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools survey found that almost 50% of schools taught only simplified characters, while 11% taught only traditional and the rest taught a mix. Back in 1994, by contrast, 40% of schools taught traditional characters while only 17% taught simplified. The popularity of teaching simplified characters has only increased in recent years. It's rare to see traditional Chinese characters in Mainland China today. Study Chinese in Guilin or Start Online CLI offers personalized Chinese instruction built around your goals. Join our Immersion Program in Guilin or begin from anywhere with a free Chinese lesson . Explore the Immersion Program Learn Chinese Online 学 07 Should I Learn Traditional or Simplified Chinese? Which Chinese script you learn really depends on where you plan to spend most of your time. You should also consider how you want to use your Chinese language skills, and how many characters you actually need to learn to reach your goals. If you plan to work in Mainland China, learning simplified Chinese will most likely be enough. Keep in mind, however, that people on the Mainland still use some traditional characters in certain contexts. For example, the names of universities, bookstores, historic buildings, and important locations are sometimes written in traditional characters. Business owners and advertisers also occasionally use traditional characters to associate their products with ancient history and culture, making them seem more reliable. That said, most people planning to live and work on the Mainland find simplified characters sufficient. Simplified characters are also the standard script for the HSK exam, the most widely recognized Chinese proficiency test. Learning traditional characters might be a better choice if you're planning to work in Taiwan or Hong Kong. It's also valuable if you plan to become an academic specializing in pre-modern Chinese history or literature, since you'll be able to recognize the original characters used in classical Chinese texts. 文 08 Traditional Chinese vs. Classical Chinese: Are They the Same? Contrary to what some might think, traditional characters 繁体字 (fántǐzì) and classical Chinese 文言文 (wényánwén) are not the same thing. As explained above, "traditional" and "simplified" refer only to the way individual characters are written. Both traditional and simplified characters can be used to write modern vernacular Chinese. No matter which script you use, the words and grammar remain identical — only the shape of the characters changes. Classical Chinese, on the other hand, refers to formal literary Chinese. Writers and intellectuals used this literary language from ancient times until the beginning of the 20th century. Modern written Chinese is based on modern spoken language. Classical Chinese, however, is very different from any form of Chinese spoken today, and modern writers almost never use it. Vestiges of classical Chinese are still in use, though. If you've studied Chinese idiomatic expressions such as 成语 (chéngyǔ), you're already somewhat familiar with classical Chinese, since many of these idioms come from classical works. Modern publishers can present classical literary works in either traditional or simplified characters. Since simplified characters are easier for today's Mainland readers to recognize, many textbooks use them — even though the original authors wrote in traditional characters 繁体字 (fántǐzì) and unchanged characters 传承字 (chuánchéngzì). 词 09 Useful Vocabulary: Talking About Chinese Scripts in Mandarin The following terms will help you discuss traditional and simplified characters in Mandarin, and recognize these words in textbooks, articles, and everyday conversation. Chinese Pinyin Meaning 繁体字 fántǐzì Traditional Chinese characters 简体字 jiǎntǐzì Simplified Chinese characters 传承字 chuánchéngzì Unchanged characters (identical in both scripts) 草书 cǎoshū Cursive script (a calligraphy style) 文言文 wényánwén Classical Chinese 成语 chéngyǔ Idiomatic expression (often from classical Chinese) 部首 bùshǒu Radical (a component of Chinese characters) 问 10 FAQ: Traditional and Simplified Chinese Characters What is the difference between traditional and simplified Chinese? Traditional and simplified Chinese are two ways of writing the same characters. Simplified characters use fewer strokes and have been the standard in Mainland China since the 1950s, while traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and many overseas communities. Does Taiwan use traditional or simplified Chinese? Taiwan uses traditional Chinese characters. Hong Kong and many older overseas Chinese communities also continue to use the traditional script. Can people who read simplified Chinese understand traditional Chinese? Partially. Many characters, called 传承字 (chuánchéngzì), were never simplified and are identical in both systems, but readers of simplified Chinese often struggle with characters that changed significantly. Should I learn traditional or simplified Chinese first? If you plan to live, work, or study in Mainland China — or take the HSK exam — start with simplified characters. If your focus is Taiwan, Hong Kong, or classical literature and pre-modern history, traditional characters are the better choice. Is traditional Chinese the same as classical Chinese? No. "Traditional" refers to the shape of individual characters, while classical Chinese, 文言文 (wényánwén), is a formal literary language used by writers until the early 20th century. 终 11 Final Thoughts: New Insights from an Ancient Tradition After reading this article, you should better understand the differences between simplified and traditional Chinese characters. Students who started with simplified characters often find traditional characters challenging. Learning at least some traditional characters is still worth it, though. Studying this ancient form of writing gives you new insights into the historical evolution of the Chinese language — and into how Chinese characters are constructed in the first place. If you'd like to explore further, check out the table below. It compares traditional characters 繁体字 (fántǐzì), simplified characters 简体字 (jiǎntǐzì), and unchanged characters 传承字 (chuánchéngzì). The table is a modified version of CLI's list of the 100 Most Common Chinese Characters, based on the work of linguist Jun Da. 12 The 100 Most Common Traditional Chinese Characters (With Simplified Equivalents) (If viewing on your mobile phone, we recommend turning your device horizontally.) Simplified Traditional Pinyin English 的的de(possessive particle), of / really and truly / aim, clear 一一yī / yì / yíone / single / a(n) 是是shìis, are, am, yes to be 不不bù(negative prefix) no, not 了了le / liǎo(modal particle intensifying preceding clause), (past tense marker) / to know, to understand 人人rénman, person, people 我我wǒI, me, myself 在在zài(located) at, in, exist 有有yǒuto have, there is, there are, to exist, to be 他他tāhe, him 这這zhèthis / these 为為wéi / wèiact as, take…to be, to be, to do, to serve as, to become / because of, for, to 之之zhīhim, her, it 大大dàbig, huge, large, major, great, wide, deep, oldest, eldest / doctor 来來láito come 以以yǐto use, take, according to, because of, in order to 个個gè(a measure word), individual 中中zhōngwithin, among, in, middle, center, while (doing something), during 上上shàngabove, on, over, top, (go) up, last, previous 们們men(plural marker for pronouns and a few animate nouns) 到到dàoto (a place), until (a time), up to, to go, to arrive 说説shuōto speak, to say 国國guócountry, state, nation 和和hé / huòand, together, with, peace / harmony 地地de / dì-ly / earth, ground, field, place, land 也也yětoo, also, as well 子子zǐchild, son 时時shítime, when, hour, period, season 道道dàodirection, way, method, road, path, principle, truth, reason, skill, Tao (of Taoism), a measure word, to say, to speak, to talk 出出chūto go out, to come out, to occur, to produce, to go beyond, to rise, to put forth, to happen 而而érand, as well as, but (not), yet (not), (shows causal relation), (shows change of state), (shows contrast) 要要yào / yāovital, to want, to be going to, must / demand, ask, request 于於 / 于yúat, in, in regard to 就就jiùat once, then, right away, only, just 下下xiàbelow, under, (go) down, next (as opposed to previous/last) 得得dé / de / děiobtain, get, gain, to have to, must, ought to, to need to 可可kěcan, may, able to, certain(ly), (particle used for emphasis) 你你nǐyou 年年niányear 生生shēngto be born, to give birth, life, to grow 自自zìfrom, self, oneself, since 会會huìcan, able, meet, meeting, society, union, party 那那nàthat, those 后後hòuback, behind, rear, afterwards, after, later 能能néngcan, may, capable, energy, able 对對duìcouple, pair, to be opposite, to oppose, to face, for, to, correct (answer), to answer, to reply, to direct (towards something), right 着著zhe / zhuó / zhāo / zháoverb particle marking a continuing progress/state 事事shìmatter, thing, item, work, affair 其其qíhis, her, its, theirs, that, such, it (refers to something preceding it) 里裏 / 裡lǐwithin, inside 所所suǒactually, place 去去qùto go, to leave, to depart 行行háng / xínga row, profession, professional / all right, capable, competent, okay, to go, to do, to travel, temporary, to walk, will do / behavior, conduct 过過guò(past tense marker), to cross, to go over, to pass (time), to live, to get along, (surname) 家家jiāhome, family, a person engaged in a certain art or profession 十十shíten 用用yòngto use 发發 (to send) / 髮 (hair)fā / fàto send out, to show (one's feeling), to issue, to develop / hair 天天tiānday, sky, heaven 如如rúas (if), such as 然然ráncorrect, right, so, thus, like this, -ly 作作zuòto regard as, to take (somebody) for, to do, to make 方方fāngsquare, quadrilateral, direction, just 成成chéngfinish, complete, accomplish, become, turn into, win, succeed 者者zhě-ist, -er (person), person (who does something) 多多duōmany, much, a lot of, numerous, multi- 日日rìday, sun, date, day of the month 都都dōuall, both (if two things are involved), entirely (due to) each, even, already 三三sānthree 小小xiǎosmall, tiny, few, young 军軍jūnarmy, military, arms 二二èrtwo 无無wú-less, not to have, no, none, not, to lack, un- 同同tónglike, same, similar, together, alike, with 么麼me(interrogative suffix) 经經jīngclassics, sacred book, pass through, to undergo, scripture 法法fǎlaw, method, way, Buddhist teaching 当當dāng / dàngto be, to act as, manage, withstand, when, during, ought, should, match equally, equal, same, obstruct, just at (a time or place), on the spot, right / at or in the very same…, to pawn, suitable, adequate, fitting, proper, replace, represent 起起qǐto rise, to raise, to get up 与與yú / yǔ / yù(interrogative particle) / and, to give, together with / take part in 好好hǎo / hàogood, well / be fond of 看看kān / kànto look after, to take care of, to watch, to guard / it depends, think, to see, to look at 学學xuélearn, study, science, -ology 进進jìnadvance, enter, to come in 种種zhǒng / zhòngkind, type, race (of people), seed, type / to grow, to plant 将將jiāng / jiàng(will, shall, future tense), ready, prepared, to get, to use / a general 还還hái / huánalso, in addition, more, still, else, yet / (surname), pay back, return 分分fēn / fènto divide, minute, (a measure word), (a unit of length = 0.33 cm) / part 此此cǐthis, these 心心xīnheart, mind 前前qiánbefore, in front, ago, former, previous, earlier, front 麵面miànface, side, surface, aspect, top, flour, noodles 又又yòu(once) again, also, both…and…, again 定定dìngto set, to fix, to determine, to decide, to order 见見jiàn / xiànto see, to meet, to appear (to be something), to interview / appear 只隻zhī / zhǐonly, just, but, measure word for one of a pair 主主zhǔto own, to host, master, lord, primary 没沒méi / mò(negative prefix for verbs), have not, not / sink, disappear 公公gōngjust, honorable (designation), public, common 从從cóngfrom, since, obey, observe, follow Related Guides How to Learn Chinese Characters A practical roadmap for mastering hanzi, whichever script you choose. The 100 Most Common Chinese Characters Start with the highest-frequency characters in the Chinese language. Chinese Stroke Order Learn the rules that govern how every Chinese character is written. Chinese Etymology Discover the origins and evolution of Chinese characters over millennia. How Many Chinese Characters Do I Need to Learn? Set realistic character-learning goals based on your proficiency targets. What Is the HSK? Understand China's standardized Chinese proficiency exam, written in simplified characters.