Hanzi / Chinese character

▪ What is hanzi in Chinese?

▪ Hanzi is Chinese characters, also known as Hanzi (漢字 /
汉字 ) are one of the earliest forms of written language in the
world, dating back approximately five thousand years. Nearly
one-fourth of the world's population still use Chinese
characters today. As an art form, Chinese calligraphy
remains an integral aspect of Chinese culture.
▪ History:
▪ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EZDXAqR5hcmkV9GecXZ8W6OelIexAag3/v
iew?usp=sharing

▪ Evolution of hanzi: https://mandarinwow.wordpress.com/2020/08/02/the-

evolution-of-chinese-character-
%e4%b8%ad%e5%9b%bd%e6%96%87%e5%ad%97%ef%bc%88%e6%b1%89
%e5%ad%97%ef%bc%89%e7%9a%84%e6%bc%94%e5%8f%98%e4%b8%8e%
e5%8f%91%e5%b1%95/
 ▪ Mandarin comes from the words 满 and
大人
满 means : the etchnic of Manchu (满洲）.

大人 = officials (people who work in

government)

• https://mandarinwow.wordpress.com/2020/07/
23/history-of-mandarin-chinese/

• https://mandarinwow.wordpress.com/2020/03/
20/mandarin-no-problem/
▪ Terms of Mandarin language:
https://mandarinwow.wordpress.com/2021/05/11/term-about-mandarin-
language/
▪ The Six Methods to Create Chinese Characters: 六書

▪ 1. Pictographic: 象形

▪ There are about 600 characters formed using the 象形 method, and they are generally the oldest characters. These are the pictographic
characters that started as drawings and became stylized over time.
Examples:
月,山,雨,鳥,牛
▪ 2. Ideographic: 指事

▪ These characters express abstract ideas using iconic forms. Sometimes this includes modifying pictographic characters.
Examples:
一,二,上,下,本
▪ 3. Ideogrammic compounds: 會意

▪ These characters are combinations of two or more pictographic characters. The combination logically suggests a new meaning.
Examples:
林,雙,好,菜,休
▪ 4. Rebus (phonetic loan): 假借

▪ These words were originally "borrowed" from other, homophonous or near-homophonous words. Over time, the pronunciation of these words may
change, and the original word may be modified as well.
Examples:
四,北,要,少,永
▪ 5. Phono-semantic compounds: 形聲

▪ Over 90% of Chinese characters fall into this category. These characters are comprised of a radical element that suggests the meaning of the
character and a phonetic element that suggests the pronunciation. The radical is usally placed on the left, but can also be at the top, outside, or
bottom-right of the character. Sometimes this technique is compounded, resulting in complicated characters.
Examples:
圍,菜,湖,抱,陽
Video:
▪ 6. Derivative cognates: 轉注 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mb
Q_h1BdaxJcn9zXJiX78CrIvHIwF6hn
▪ These characters have similar meanings and are derived from the same etymological root.
Examples: /view?usp=sharing
老+考,
▪ The most obvious difference between traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese is the way that the
characters look. Traditional characters are typically more complicated and have more strokes,
while simplified characters are, as the name suggests, simpler and have fewer strokes.
▪ https://ai.glossika.com/blog/differences-between-traditional-chinese-and-simplified-
chinese
▪ https://mandarinwow.wordpress.com/2020/08/02/the-difference-between-simplied-and-traditional-
chinese-character/
▪ See the 3000 hanzi for comparison. Link: https://mandarinwow.wordpress.com/2020/04/23/complete-
3000-most-common-chinese-character-
%e4%b8%89%e5%8d%83%e4%b8%aa%e5%b8%b8%e7%94%a8%e6%b1%89%e5%ad%97/
- https://mandarinwow.wordpress.com/2020/10/03/in-what-condition-china-usually-use-the-traditional-
chinese-character/
- https://mandarinwow.wordpress.com/2022/04/21/simplified-chinese-character/
▪ https://mandarinwow.wordpress.com/2021/09/10/complete-stroke-bihua-
in-mandarin/
▪ https://mandarinwow.wordpress.com/2021/01/18/basic-strokes-in-
chinese-character-%e5%9f%ba%e6%9c%ac%e7%ac%94%e7%94%bb-
%e3%80%90jiben-bihua%e3%80%91/
▪ https://mandarinwow.wordpress.com/2022/03/27/writing-29-basic-
strokes/
▪ https://mandarinwow.wordpress.com/2020/08/10/complete-bishun-or-
stroke-orders/
▪ https://mandarinwow.wordpress.com/2022/02/14/images-for-practice-
stroke-orders-bishun/
▪ https://mandarinwow.wordpress.com/2020/04/28/bihua-
%e7%ac%94%e7%94%bb-stroke/
▪ https://mandarinwow.wordpress.com/2021/10/03/radical-
%e9%83%a8%e9%a6%96/
▪ https://mandarinwow.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/%e5%b8%b8%e7%94%a
8%e6%b1%89%e5%ad%97%e5%81%8f%e6%97%81%e9%83%a8%e9%a6%96
%e8%a1%a8-pian-pang-bu-shou-radical-in-hanzi/
Single hanzi and compound hanzi :
▪ https://mandarinwow.wordpress.com/2021/10/12/chinese-character-
structure-%e6%b1%89%e5%ad%97%e7%bb%93%e6%9e%84/

Grid (like square box) :

▪ https://mandarinwow.wordpress.com/2020/07/29/hanzi-grid-
%ef%bc%88%e6%b1%89%e5%ad%97%e6%a0%bc%e5%ad%90%ef%bc%89/
▪ grid
▪ /ɡrid/
▪ Noun

▪ 1. a framework of spaced bars that are parallel to or

cross each other; a grating.
▪ "the metal grids had been pulled across the foyer"
▪ 2. a network of lines that cross each other to form a
series of squares or rectangles.
▪ "a grid of tree-lined streets"
▪ https://mandarinwow.wordpress.com/2021/08/12/sample-of-hanzi-in-
handwriting/

▪ Compare them:
https://mandarinwow.wordpress.com/2020/09/08/compare-the-printed-
hanzi-and-writing-hanzi/