A brief introduction of Chinese characters

Chinese characters are the worlds oldest form of written language, it’s also the worlds most widely used language today in terms of user number. The earliest confirmed evidence of Chinese characters discovered is that of the inscriptions carved on oracle bones from the Shang dynasty. Online learn Chinese platform Lingo Bus is interesting. 

Chinese characters are a logogram, that means each character can have a meaning tied to a word or even a phrase. A single character can have a big meaning.

If we are to believe the legends, then Chinese characters were first invented by a bureaucrat who worked for the deity the Yellow Emperor. He was so enamored with his studies of the world and its beings that he created the first characters to describe them. This is called zi.

You can see how Chinese characters have evolved by looking at their change through the centuries but even now some still look like the thing they are describing. There are many helpful books that introduce the history and the meaning behind the characters, helping second language users to remember them more easily.

Are there any Chinese characters whose meaning you would like to know? What about a word in your language that you think has a nice meaning.

What started as a tool for communication and recording information has turned into much more than that! Calligraphy is an art form that has been part of UNESCO’s cultural heritage since 2009.  

Although prized calligraphy written by masters can break the bank, it’s not something that’s just reserved for the rich. Walking past a square in China you can often find the elderly generation using a large mop like brush and water to practice on the pavement.

For those that practice this art form seriously there are 5 different ‘scripts’ that can be mastered, they are known as ‘seal’, ‘official’, ‘cursive’, ‘running’ and ‘regular’.