Characters & Radicals
Peek at how Chinese characters are built from smaller parts.
Characters & Radicals
Chinese characters are often built from smaller parts called radicals. Put a few together and a brand-new word appears!
木Tree+木Tree=林Woods
女Woman+子Child=好Good
Sound Radicals
Some radicals even hint at the sound. In mā (, mom), the horse () gives the sound and the woman () gives the meaning.
Simplified vs Traditional
Chinese is written in two styles. Mainland China uses simplified, and Taiwan and Hong Kong use traditional.
Simplified
爱马
Traditional
愛馬
You Can Start Reading!
You did it! You know how pinyin spells sounds, how tones shape words, and how characters are built. Now the real fun begins.