Learn Mandarin: Some Additional Methods of Creating Simplified Chinese Characters

Article by yen03 (1,053 pts ) , published Jun 10, 2009

This is the second part of "Learn Mandarin: Some Methods Used to create Simplified Chinese Characters". You will learn five more methods of simplification.

V. Combining two complicated characters that sound the same/similar into a newly created and simpler one

Example 1:

First Character + Second Character → Combined as

髮【fà= hair】+ 發【fā= get rich, make a fortune】→ 发【fā】

Sample Words:

假发【jiǎfà=wig】

发财【fācái=get rich, make a fortune】

 

Example 2:

First Character + Second Character →Combined as

臟 【zàng= internal organs of the body such as the heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys】+ 髒 【zāng=dirty】 → 脏 【zāng】

Sample Words:

肝脏 【gānzàng=liver】

肮脏 【āngzāng=dirty】

 

Example 3:

First Character + Second Character → Combined as

儘 【jǐn= give priority to】+ 盡 【jìn=exhaust】 → 尽 【jǐn, jìn】

Sample Words:

尽先【jǐnxiān=give first priority to】

用尽【yòngjìn= exhaust】

髮 + 發 → 发 e.g. 假发 , 发财

臟 + 髒 → 脏 e.g. 肝脏 , 肮脏

儘 + 盡 → 尽 e.g. 尽先 , 用尽

VI. All characters that use the same element are simplified in the same way (systematically)

a. When the element is a stand-alone character, it's not simplified.

Example 1:

When it’s stand alone:

食【shí= eat, meal】

When it's a part of the character:

· 飠→饣,

· 飯 【fàn=cooked rice】 → 饭 【fàn】,

· 餅 【bǐng=a round flat cake】 → 饼【bǐng】

· 饅 【mán=steamed bread】 → 馒【mán】

Example 2:

When it’s stand alone:

言【yán=speech】

When it’s a part of the character:

· 言→ 讠

· 說 【shuō=speak, talk】 → 说 【shuō】,

· 話 【huà=word, talk】 → 话 【huà】,

· 談 【tán=discuss】 → 谈 【tán】

Example 3:

When it's stand alone:

糸【sī= fine silk】

When it's a part of the character:

· 糸→纟

· 紅 【hóng=red】 → 红 【hóng】

· 約 【yuē=arrange】 → 约 【yuē】

· 細 【xì=thin】 → 细 【xì】

飠 → 饣 , 飯 → 饭 , 餅 → 饼 , 饅 → 馒

言 → 讠 , 說 → 说 , 話 → 话 , 談 → 谈

糸 → 纟 , 紅 → 红 , 約 → 约 , 細 → 细

b. When the element is a stand-alone character, it's also simplified.

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