Q: Are simplified and traditional Chinese characters different?

Actually some are the same or have very subtle differences . It entirely depends on the character. Some are very different though and appear much more complex .

Question 1

Is there a Chinese Alphabet?

Accepted Answer

No there isn't. In English we learn the 26 letters, but in Chinese there is no alphabet. You learn the characters which make words. Words are made up of 1, 2 or 3 characters in most cases. Therefore, Chinese is very much about memorizing the characters. It gets easier as you go on!

Question 2

How many Chinese characters are there?

Accepted Answer

According to the Hànyǔ dà zìdiǎn (汉语大字典) they say the number of existing Chinese characters is actually 54,648. Don't worry though, if you know anything around 2,500 you will be reading newspapers and magazines with absolutely no problem.

If you want to crank it up further, The Dictionary of Chinese Variant Form, Zhōnghuá zì hǎi (中华字海) includes definitions for a mere 106,230 characters.

A good start is to learn the most common 100 Chinese Characters. You'll see these everywhere.

Question 3

How many Chinese characters should I learn?

Accepted Answer

A very broad question but let's try and break it down for you. To read a book, magazine or newspaper you need to master over 2,000 Chinese characters. If you can read 1,000-1,500 you'll be able to get the jist of the article/story but getting towards 2,000 and beyond will make your life much easier.

500 Chinese Characters - get the basics nailed

2,000 Chinese characters - the number you need to read a newspaper

2,633 Chinese characters - the number of characters you should know to pass the HSK 6 exam

8,000 Chinese characters - the number an educated Chinese person will know

20,000 Chinese characters - the number a modern day Chinese dictionary would use

Question 4

Are some Chinese characters the same?

Accepted Answer

Yes some Chinese characters can have more than one meaning and be pronounced in different ways. Generally the context of the sentence gives this away.

For example 行 (xíng or háng, hàng, héng, hèng) has different meanings and different pronunciations, but if you saw 银行 the first character gives the meaning away (bank).

Question 5

Is there a specific stroke order when writing Chinese characters?

Accepted Answer

There are 11 basic strokes that make up all Chinese characters. Although learning to write Chinese today doesn't hold the same weight as previous years, it's still a useful skill to know when learning Chinese.

For example, using the wrong stroke order means the ink lands differently on the page, and can prove your character to be incorrect.

You can discover more about Chinese Stroke Order here.

Question 6

Are simplified and traditional Chinese characters different?

Accepted Answer

Actually some are the same or have very subtle differences.

It entirely depends on the character. Some are very different though and appear much more complex.

Question 7

Should I learn Simplified or Traditional Mandarin?

Accepted Answer

It's entirely up to you. It may also be dependant on your location. In mainland Chinese, it's probably best to learn Simplified Chinese given that Simplified is far more common.

That said, a visit to Taiwan might mean it's a better move to take up Traditional Chinese due to the fact Taiwan uses solely traditional characters.

Question 8

Can I learn Chinese in a year?

Accepted Answer

You can sure make excellent progress in that time yes.

We've had students pass HSK 6 after starting with zero Chinese, within a year.

Some students ask for fluency in 3 months, that's just no possible, but within a year you can get very far with some hard work and determination!

Question 9

Do you have any mock HSK exams?

Accepted Answer

You can take mock HSK exams using the HSK Online app but if you wish to test your HSK vocabulary, take our free HSK tests which are on our website.

Hi, my name is Greta

Hi, my name is Mojca

Chinese Letters

Chinese Alphabet 🗣 What is it? Does it Exist? A Definitive Guide

LTL Mandarin School Beijing

LTL Mandarin School Shanghai

LTL Mandarin School Chengdu

LTL Mandarin School Beihai

LTL Mandarin School Taipei

LTL Korean School Seoul

LTL Japanese School Tokyo

LTL Japanese School Osaka

LTL Vietnamese School Saigon

Hi, my name is Greta

Hi, my name is Mojca

We Guarantee...

Chinese Alphabet 🗣 What is it? Does it Exist? A Definitive Guide