Chinese characters are logographic symbols that represent syllables. Each character is made up of parts called radicals that provide clues to pronunciation or meaning. It takes years of study for children to learn the 3,000-4,000 characters needed for literacy. Chinese is also a tonal language, meaning the same syllable spoken with different tones can have distinct meanings. For example, "ma" spoken with four different tones can mean mum, hemp, horse, or scold. Greetings also vary based on whether addressing one person or a group.

1. Chinese Language
Chinese Characters
(Calligraphy)
BCFL/VDLC Delegate Orientation
June 3, 2014

2. Calligraphy is not just
communication, but art

3. Each Chinese character is a syllable
• You need to know 3,000-4,000 characters to
be considered literate
• Students start learning them in kindergarten
and it takes 6 years to memorize them
• Literacy rate in China in 2013 was 95%

4. Chinese characters are made up of
parts called radicals

5. Chinese characters are made up of
parts called radicals
• Water radical

6. Chinese characters are made up of
parts called radicals
日

7. Chinese characters are made up of
parts called radicals
• Sun radical 日

8. Chinese characters are made up of
parts called radicals
人

9. Chinese characters are made up of
parts called radicals
Person radical 人

10. Chinese characters are made up of
parts called radicals
• Water radical
• Sun radical 日
• Person radical 人

11. Chinese characters are made up of
parts called radicals
女

12. Chinese characters are made up of
parts called radicals
• Female radical 女
• Son radical 子
• Combined becomes “nice, fine, good”
• 好
• “how” as in “Nee how”, means hello
• Literally “you are fine”

13. Chinese is a tonal language
• First tone, high and steady
• Second tone, rising
• Third tone, lower, down and up
• Fourth tone, downward (sounds harsh, but
isn’t)
• Neutral tone (light)
• Same word can have five different tones with
at least five different meanings

14. E.g. “ma”
• 妈 ma 1 Mum
• 蔴 ma 2 hemp
• 马 ma 3 horse
• 骂 ma 4 scold
• 吗 ma 0 question indicator

15. Chinese Language, some hints
• Most pronunciation is like English but for the following
approximations:
• ZH and J are pronounced like “j” in jungle
• CH and Q are pronounced like “ch” in chew
• X is pronounced like “sh” in show
• G is hard, like grow
• C is like ‘ts’ in cats
• Z is like ‘ds’ in kids
• Ai is like Shanghai
• U is like moon
• Ou and o are like Joe
• I is like seek
• Ei is like wait
• Thus Beijing is pronounced Bay Jing

16. Saying hello
• “Ni hao” is Nee how. It is singular.
• Plural is “Nimen hao” which is Neemen how