From each part of the world you can appreciate a different cultural tradition reflected in various aspects ranging from their traditions to their artistic manifestations and way of life. For example, the Chinese use a language completely different from ours, which although it presents a symbolic representation for all the letters of our alphabet, we must bear in mind that it uses many more characters that are constantly used for communication by the inhabitants of this country. It may be very difficult for us, who are used to Spanish, to see this aspect, but at least we should know the basics about it.
La chinese alphabet writing It is made up of thousands of symbols, calculating that there are approximately 50.000 recognized symbols, of which only about 3.000 have come to be recognized as in constant use today.
The symbols used are called hanzi, which have been used according to historical studies for more than three millennia. Each of these symbols usually refers to exact words in most cases, which in turn are usually exact syllables, meaning that each syllable refers to a word, which shows why their language is so broad, rich and clear, difficult to understand for beginners.
Classification of the Chinese alphabet
The Chinese alphabet is classified into three main types: pictograms, simple ideograms e compound ideograms. Below we explain each one in detail:
- Pictograms: These are stylized drawings that represent objects. An example of this is the character for “sun” (日), whose original form represented a circle with a dot in the center, similar to a representation of the sun.
- Simple ideograms: They represent abstract ideas through icons. For example, the character 上 (shàng) means “up” and its shape suggests the idea of elevation.
- Compound ideograms: It is the combination of two or more pictographic or ideographic characters to suggest a third meaning. An example is the character 明 (míng), which is composed of the characters for “sun” (日) and “moon” (月) to form the idea of “bright” or “clear.”
Differences between traditional and simplified writing
It is important to clarify that in China there are two main writing systems: traditional writing, which is the most complex and was used historically, and the simplified writing, which was introduced by the Chinese government in the mid-20th century to increase literacy. Although the simplified script is easier to learn, traditional script is still widely used in regions such as Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.
Importance of Pinyin
One of the main reasons why so many foreigners can learn Chinese is thanks to the phonetic transcription called Pinyin. This system, developed in the 50s, uses Latin characters to write Mandarin sounds, making communication and language teaching easier. For example, the word “你” (you) is written as “nǐ” in Pinyin. Although Pinyin is only a guide to pronunciation and does not replace the writing of Chinese characters, it has been an extremely useful system for both Chinese children and foreign students.
Learn to write Chinese characters
Although learning to write in Chinese may seem like a daunting task, there are effective methods to do so gradually. To begin with, it is important to familiarize yourself with the basic strokes and correct order of the same, since each character must be written in a specific way:
- Start with horizontal and vertical strokes.
- Continue with slanted lines that go from top to bottom or from left to right.
- It ends with strokes that cross or close geometric figures.
It is crucial to write practicing the order of the strokes as Chinese calligraphers do, as this is the basis of clear and understandable writing.
Chinese Character Levels
One of the most common questions among Chinese learners is how many characters are needed to communicate effectively. Below is a general guide to Chinese character proficiency levels based on expert linguists:
- For basic communication in everyday Chinese: 500 to 750 characters.
- To read a newspaper: 2.000 characters.
- A Chinese person with advanced education should know 8.000 characters.
- The modern Chinese dictionary includes approximately 20.000 characters.
How to read and write with a Chinese keyboard
For those who wish to type in Chinese using electronic devices, there is the option of installing a Chinese keyboard. This keyboard allows you to type characters using the Pinyin system:
- FOR PC with Windows, you can access the Control Panel and then choose the keyboard language. Select “Chinese” and you can switch between the Spanish and Chinese keyboard by pressing “ALT + SHIFT”.
- With a Mac, you need to go to System Preferences, Keyboard and then add the Chinese keyboard in the “Input Sources” section.
- There is also the option of using external applications such as Google Pinyin IME, which is widely used for writing Chinese on electronic devices.
Chinese calligraphy as an art
La chinese calligraphy is one of Four treasures of the study along with ink, brush and paper. It is an art appreciated worldwide for the precision and beauty required to practice it. Chinese calligraphers follow five essential criteria for their work to be considered art:
- The characters must be written correctly, following the order of the strokes.
- Characters must be legible.
- Writing should be concise.
- Context is key to understanding the meaning of calligraphy.
- Written characters must be aesthetically beautiful.
It is said that calligraphy reflects the personality and patience of the writer. To practice, calligraphers often use special paper canvases that allow them to easily correct their mistakes.
Chinese writing represents one of the most fascinating cultures in the world, both for the richness of its characters and for its historical evolution. Whether you are interested in learning the language or better understanding its calligraphy, the Chinese alphabet is a gateway to one of the oldest and most complex languages of humanity.
It is not necessary to master thousands of characters to start learning. The most important thing is to take the first step, and from there, advance step by step, as Chinese wisdom dictates: “千里之行，始于足下” (A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step).