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Tidbits on the Chinese Language
No.2: Two Styles of Chinese CharactersIn the second series of this column on the Chinese language, we would like to explain as comprehensively as possible the difference between simplified and traditional Chinese characters, which we touched upon briefly at the end of the last column.
How Simplified Chinese Began
Chinese was originally all written as traditional Chinese characters. However, when the People’s Republic of China was established in the middle of the 20th century, a movement to spread written Chinese widely among its citizens was born. However, because traditional Chinese characters were quite difficult to learn, simplified Chinese characters were created and diffused in the 1950s with the intent of lessening the burden on the people as much as possible.The Difference Between Simplified and Traditional Chinese Characters
What is the difference between traditional Chinese characters, which has been used since the age of Chinese emperors, and the new, simplified Chinese that was born after there were no longer any emperors in the country? As you can imagine from the name, “simplified” Chinese characters are just that—a simplified version of traditional Chinese characters. As a result of a reduction in the number of strokes used, the characters came to look quite different from the original. However, they have indeed been changed to make writing easier.How much have they changed? Here are some examples that show this clearly.
Simplified Chinese:
Traditional Chinese:
（Japanese:
）Simplified Chinese Characters Today
How are simplified and traditional Chinese characters used? Simplified Chinese characters are used today in mainland China and Singapore, while traditional Chinese characters are used in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. In particular, perhaps because Taiwan considers simplified Chinese characters to be symbolic of the Chinese Communist party, its use is not allowed in the country, and they continue to use traditional Chinese characters. There is something profound in the fate of Chinese characters, which was split into two for political reasons.In the Next Issue
Do you now understand the difference between simplified and traditional Chinese characters? Next time, we will take a look at the difference between written and colloquial Chinese, explained in an easy to understand manner using actual examples. Don’t miss it!Written by Masanori Ito, Translation/Localization Division
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Back Numbers
- Tidbits on the Chinese Language - No.2: Two Styles of Chinese Characters (Spring Greeting 2011)
- Tidbits on the Chinese Language - No.1: The Diversity of the Chinese Language (Winter Greeting 2010)
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