written chinese chinese pinyin comprises chinese characters pinyin literally han characters represent chinese language chinese characters constitute alphabet compact writing system roughly character generally represents spoken chinese word word characters composed parts represent physical objects abstract notions pronunciation literacy requires great characters educated chinese know large number chinese characters led adoption western auxiliary means representing chinese current chinese characters traced late dynasty process creating characters thought begun centuries earlier period variation evolution chinese characters standardized dynasty characters evolved developed styles chinese chinese speakers disparate dialect groups able communicate writing standard written chinese based standard spoken language previously classical chinese varieties chinese written traditions written written written chinese characters adopted writing systems east asian languages japanese korean vietnamese structure based alphabet compact instead chinese characters components depict objects represent abstract notions occasionally character consists component commonly components combined form complex characters variety different principles best known exposition chinese character composition compiled access chinese characters earliest forms analysis taken authoritative nonetheless later work supplanted terms breadth relevant research today characters according chinese characters developed basic principles principles popularized developed earlier oldest known mention rites text principles produce simple characters known character graphical depiction object denotes examples person sun tree wood character represents abstract notion examples remaining principles produce complex characters historically called term generally refer characters simple complex construct characters simpler parts logical parts meaning yields composite meaning applied new character example east represents sun rising trees complexes called radical indicates general category character water related eye related character value example clear fair weather composed sun blue green pronunciation contrast popular conception chinese primarily language vast majority chinese characters percent characters constructed logical complexes fact complexes originally simple later augmented addition root example archaic meaning originally character pronounced means host character fire added indicate meaning fire related principles produce new written forms instead transfer new meanings existing forms character simple concrete meaning takes extended abstract meaning example net originally depicting fishing net time taken extended meaning covering kind instance refer computer network borrowing character intentionally accidentally entirely different purpose example older brother written character originally meaning song sing written character older brother unrelated character right pronunciation borrowed meaning chinese characters written fit square composed simpler forms written cases form compressed fit entire character square strokes character components subdivided strokes strokes chinese characters fall main categories horizontal vertical left falling right falling rising lower element dot hook turning etc basic rules stroke order writing chinese character horizontal strokes written vertical ones left falling strokes written right falling ones characters written characters written left right character framed frame written character framed frame written frames closed symmetrical character middle drawn sides rules strictly apply situation occasionally violated layout chinese characters conform roughly square frame usually linked written direction square grid traditionally chinese written vertical columns column right page column left text written classical chinese uses little cases sentence phrase breaks determined context rhythm layout letters formal documents modern times familiar western layout horizontal rows left right read page popular especially mainland china government mandated left right writing government taiwan followed suit official documents use common text written columns rows marks clearly influenced western counterparts marks particular asian languages example double single quotation marks hollow period like ordinary period special kind called separate items list opposed clauses sentence signs particularly challenging aspect written chinese layout written left right right left thought traditional layout column character high uncommon encounter signs neighboring stores evolution chinese oldest continually writing systems use earliest generally accepted examples chinese writing date reign king inscriptions bones primarily turtle shells characters carved bones order frame question bones heated fire resulting cracks interpreted determine answer characters called shell bone script bone script isolated symbols carved shells found archaeological site province china bearing striking resemblance certain modern characters eye site dates earliest confirmed chinese writing years new_york headed team archaeologists province suggested symbols chinese writing professor field expertise origins chinese civilization early bronze ages employing archaeological evidence suggests time gap great connection late dynasty chinese writing evolved form found cast inscriptions chinese ritual spring autumn period kind writing called metal script characters angular bone script later period script regular settled form called script states source material characters later embellished stylized yield seal script represents oldest form chinese characters modern use principally signature seals place signature chinese documents artwork seal script standard empire dynasty newly unified seal script turn evolved surviving writing styles writing style follow clerical script development style attributed dynasty seeking create convenient form written characters daily usage general clerical script characters flat appearance wider seal script tends taller wide compared seal script clerical script characters running script semi form character elements begin run characters generally remain separate running script eventually evolved grass script fully form characters entirely canonical forms grass script gives impression anarchy appearance considerable freedom freedom conventional forms characters regular script non form widely recognized script regular script stroke character clearly drawn running grass scripts appear derived semi variants regular script fact regular script develop regular script considered chinese writing forms basis printed forms addition regular script stroke order followed order characters written correctly strictly speaking stroke order applies clerical running grass scripts especially running grass scripts order occasionally instance character wood written starting horizontal stroke drawn left right vertical stroke left diagonal stroke lastly right diagonal stroke simplified traditional chinese 20th century written chinese divided canonical forms called simplified chinese traditional chinese simplified chinese developed mainland china order characters faster write especially characters dozen strokes easier claims goals achieved external observers disagree little systematic study conducted simplified chinese affected way chinese people studies conducted standardized mainland china statistical ones strokes saved average samples running text simplified forms criticized inconsistent instance traditional allow simplified right reduced strokes speech radical left simplified form simplified chinese characters soil forms remained relatively uncommon represent stroke reduction hand simplified forms simply long standing example thousand traditional chinese form simplified chinese standard singapore malaysia traditional chinese retained hong_kong taiwan overseas chinese communities singapore malaysia article chinese text given simplified traditional forms differ traditional forms given function inception written chinese spoken chinese chinese words expressing independent concepts objects actions relations etc usually written character corresponded word spoken language modern words usually composed older words chinese characters represent individual chinese syllables thousand years prevailing written standard vocabulary rooted chinese spoken time called classical chinese centuries classical chinese gradually acquired grammar character senses generally slow minor 20th century classical chinese distinctly different contemporary dialect learned separately learned common medium communication people speaking different mutually end millennium speaker understand character chinese vary pronunciation lesser extent vocabulary grammar modern written chinese replaced classical chinese written standard indirect result technically bound single dialect nearly represents vocabulary far widespread chinese dialect terms geographical area number speakers version written chinese called vernacular chinese literally plain speech despite ties dominant dialect vernacular chinese permits communication people different limited fact vernacular chinese expressions non role differ substantially role latin trained written chinese serves common medium graphic nature characters general aid common understanding characters notwithstanding regard chinese characters considered large inefficient script exploration matching standard chinese concludes chinese writing system conveying content variation vocabulary led informal use characters standard characters considered archaic today standards unique non regional languages having written standard hong_kong overseas large number unofficial characters words particular dialect written popular online chat rooms instant formal written communications speakers normally use vernacular chinese lesser degree similar way taiwan lacks level seen currently releasing standard character set taught schools promoted general population languages chinese characters introduced japanese half millennium probably chinese products imported japan korea time japanese native written system chinese characters represent japanese words corresponding meanings similar notable exception rule system man small set chinese characters help indicate pronunciation man later developed chinese characters called han dynasty china japanese pronounced modern written japanese stems stems elements miscellaneous words common rendition languages names plants animals certain scientific technical words emphasis list common use standardized japanese government contains characters half number characters commanded chinese role chinese characters korean vietnamese limited time chinese characters called introduced korean meaning japanese today korean written exclusively alphabet small number chinese characters square block character contains symbols letters represent similarly use chinese chinese styled characters vietnamese script entirely superseded latin based vietnamese alphabet chinese characters actively south_korea today signs newspapers books government documents chinese characters china write non han languages largest non han group china years chinese characters despite introduction official script lack corresponding official set chinese characters people read script media history written chinese variety media writing include bamboo wooden slips thirteenth century invented later second century han dynasty stone metal wood bamboo plastic ivory seals han dynasty media create hanging literacy majority modern chinese words contain character measuring sticks chinese literacy number characters known number words known introduction advanced chinese reader estimates typical chinese college graduate recognizes characters words chinese places number characters somewhat lower counts complicated development chinese characters cases single character came written multiple ways development restrained extent seal script dynasty soon started lists characters unique use time compiled plus graphic variants compiled thousand years later contains characters graphic variants based alphabet chinese define chinese characters languages easily ordered english need arrange chinese characters order permit efficient given rise considerable variety ways organize index characters traditional mechanism method uses set character roots roots generally align parts compose characters means logical complex canonical set developed rule emperor year called ordered stroke count number strokes required write radical given stroke count prescribed order chinese character falls incorrectly heading exactly cases characters naturally come heading characters given radical ordered stroke count character usually characters given stroke count given radical point characters given recognizable order user locate character going characters stroke count typically listed convenience page occur method applied written character need know character looking entry located usually gives pronunciation easy identify roots character proper radical accordingly include list hard locate characters total stroke count near beginning dictionary include seventh characters list methods organization exist attempt address shortcomings radical method common instance common dictionary ordered principally auxiliary index pronunciation expressed typically pinyin index points page main dictionary desired character found methods use structure characters corner method characters according kinds strokes located nearest corners method method characters broken set basic components corner method method requires user identify proper radical strokes components alternate forms order use methods effectively availability chinese makes possible look characters schemes described shortening search process chinese characters reliably indicate pronunciation dialect useful able dialect chinese latin alphabet arabic script read chinese characters considered merely way record sounds particular dialect chinese considered potential replacement chinese characters prominently proposed fourth movement gained support victory communists immediately afterward mainland government began parallel programs relating written chinese development script spoken thirds chinese population traditional characters process eventually lead simplified chinese viewed ease transition exclusive use script priority given officially simplified chinese script pinyin developed deployment exclusion simplified characters pushed distant future date association pinyin opposed contributed unlikely pinyin chinese characters soon sole means representing chinese pinyin uses latin alphabet marks represent sounds standard pronunciation pinyin uses letters romance languages instance represent voice distinction languages french represent distinction voiced pinyin sounds markedly different languages use latin alphabet instance pinyin sound similar english respectively pinyin sole scheme instance systems dominant chinese speaking world article use pinyin system
Written Chinese