How to read the Chinese characters (Mandarin) Lesson 1

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Brenda Kennedy
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1 How to read the Chinese characters (Mandarin) Lesson 1 Di yi ke For this study for reference you will need: 1 The Chart of the 214/8 Chinese radicals, with variations. 2 The list of the meanings and pronunciation of the Radicals Every character that is used in the Chinese languages is built up from a number of the Radicals. Some characters may have six or more Radicals included in them. Each of these Radicals contributes some information toward the actual meaning of the character and one of them may indicate its pronunciation as well as add to its meaning. Hence it is essential to get to know the radicals well. Each radical is numbered and these numbers are consistent across Chinese and other languages that use them even Japanese uses the same numbers to identify a Radical. For example # 9 always indicates (meaning man) and #30 always indicates mouth). While this is consistent the way that the radicals are drawn is not absolutely consistent. There is good reason for this however. Because a number of radicals often have to be combined to make up characters with more complex meaning, radicals often are squashed, either from side to side or from top to bottom, the direction of strokes is sometimes modified, some may even be omitted. A large number of these modifications is shown on the right hand section of the chart. When consulting the chart always check for these likely changes. Generally the Radicals with the lower numbers are more frequently used than those with the higher numbers, hence learning those near the top of the chart with the lower numbers should be learned first. There are two types of characters: Pictographs and Ideographs. Pictographs are actually pictures of the object they represent. When you look at these, try and figure out how or why it pictures the object that it does. Once you have come to a conclusion of your own like this, you will probably remember it s meaning next time you see it. Examine each Radical carefully take time to look at each stroke, this will fix the image of it in your mind. Just like seeing a new flower for the first time you will remember it when it comes up again. You will notice that some of the later Radicals are actually built up from some of the earlier Radicals in the list such as: #180 is made up of #72 and #117. This combination is undoubtedly retained owing to its frequency of use. Suggestions on how to get familiar with the Radicals Spend some time in looking at them every day. The regularity is more important than the time spent. Five minutes everyday is worth more than an hour once a week. One must continually replenish the image in the mind. Even the Chinese will forget some if they do not read the language regularly. Doing this you will gradually become familiar with certain characters, when this occurs look up the meaning of the character in question in the Chart of meanings provided. It is more important to learn the meaning of the radicals first than the pronunciation. Once you have mastered the meaning of certain Radicals then learn the pronunciation. In reading it is the meaning that gives sense, the pronunciation may not! Another method In your pursuit of learning Chinese it is evident that you will come across characters that you do not know. This likely will be associated with a certain field of interest that you are pursuing. Analyse this character, look at every part of it and decided what radicals it is built up from. If you do not yet know the meanings of these elements, look them up on your chart and see if you can decide why these radicals were used to indicate what the meaning is! Some times you will discover an interesting little story that is being told! Even if you do not come to the correct solution, your own little story will help you tie the character into your memory for later use. Consider a few examples in Lesson 2:

2 Analysing characters Lesson 2 di er ke Analysing characters to find their meanings Study the examples given, by consulting your chart of Radicals and also the chart of Meanings and then work the others out for yourself. Pay attention to the section Why do you think it means that? It is this that will fix the character and its meaning in your memory. CONSIDER THE FOLLOW EXAMPLES CAREFULLY: New character How many radicals has it? Draw each radicals What is the meaning? The pronunciation? Why do you think it means that? stop/rest xiu man under a tree 2 think si the field of the mind 2 male nan power of the field (worker) 3 the ark chuan 8 people mouths in ship Now following the examples above and work out these meanings by consulting your Radical charts or your dictionary s character section: (some help is given) Check with the suggestions at the bottom of the page. They are in no particular order! 2 alive huo buy mai 2 distance li 3 sell mai 2 name ming Did you come to the same conclusion as this: there is a quantity of money (shells): you can buy; water and tongues are always moving (alive);a piece of ground in a field; a man in a cell (imprison); mountain like stone: (rock); a mouth on legs: (older brother) bosses other children; man under a tree: (resting); cut into eight pieces(separate); a woman at home(safety); the basic man: (body); a quantity of money and land(sell),you own the land; measuring the sun on the ground(time)sundial; in the dark you need to call a persons (name); sun and moon, two lights, (clear); talking of numbers(calculate); speaking with the tongue(say)

3 Lesson 3 di se ke At this stage it is necessary to ascertain why certain characters mean what they do. Perhaps from previous lessons you are drawing conclusions for your self. However in this lesson let us pay more attention to this and to get you thinking in the right direction some examples are given. Some are fairly obvious but a little more thought may required to discern others. Study the examples given and the reasoning behind their meaning and then see what you can come up with as why they mean what they do in the latter group. Why radicals mean what they do The character The meaning Picto/ideograph? Why it means what it does Man/person pictograph A person walking along on two legs A mouth/opening picto A hole, port, etc power ideo A man s crooked arm denoting his strength A tree/wood/timber picto A trunk with upper and lower branches Heart/mind ideo The arm laid across the chest on the heart. Now give your conclusion on the following A bow (archery) Big A bull/cow A field A mountain An eye Meat/flesh A tongue ideo ideo to see/comprehend ideo - In case you could not get some of these, see if you can select the right conclusion from these listed below: Enclosure with hedges; sticking out of the mouth; man with arms outstretched; carcass hanging on a hook; eye shaped with pupil in middle and turned on side; rays coming from an eye: three peaks; basic ancient bow shaped

4 Lesson 4 di se ke Besides the examples of characters above that are made up of multiple radicals, many characters that are not or do not contain radicals exist. Many of these, though not apparently built up from radicals are used like radicals to construct more complex characters. As with the Radicals they are pictographs or ideographs. In this lesson some of these are introduced. As they are as it were one element characters becoming familiar with these and how they are used will be advantageous in this study. First there is given some examples, followed by others that have no explanation as to why they mean what they do. Here, start thinking along the lines that were introduced in previous lessons and record your own conclusions! Examples Basic character Meaning Pronunciation Why do you think it means what it does? Write it briefly here. middle zhong pointing into the middle of a square a well jing planks of wood laid across the well mouth to call zhao hands cupped around the mouth Now these are for you to work out older brother xiong separate bag wei yan mo fou gui guo gao shi du fen bao not yet say, talk already hil precious fruit report city read Now compare your thoughts with these. Which fits? cattle on mountain; field of trees; a thing cupped; tree branch has grown; a walking mouth; cut into eight (pieces); branch not yet grown; contains money; lid of cloth, tent, market, town; breath from mouth;

5 Lesson 5 di wu ke In the previous lessons we have mostly dealt with characters that are built up from two elements or radicals. Deeper thoughts are expressed in characters by increasing the number of radicals or characters that imbedded in a character. Some may have six elements or more. In this study attention is give to these with the same practice of finding out why the whole character means what it does. Use the same process of analysing each element found in the character to see the story that is being told. Examples New character Pronounced Radicals? Draw each radical Its meaning? Why do you think it means that? su 3 lodge mao 3 a cat xue 2 snow ting 6 to hear peng 2 friend wen 2 to ask kai 2 to open kan 2 to see ta 2 he gong 3 a palace pi 3 tired zuo 3 sit guo 3 kingdom, land qu 4 district, ward 2 persons sitting on ground, sick to the skin; mouthing in and out; a hundred people under one roof; hand over the eyes; rain held in hand; conferencing undercover; door and gate; king in his kingdom; many people(mouths) enclosed; another man; animal in the grass; ear to the main heart; flesh to flesh close;

6 Lesson 6 di liu ke In these examples you will have to use your imagination a little more as some characters may have up to six radicals. Notice too, that some character have, not only radicals in them but whole original characters. Underline these when you draw them. Try and account for the use of each. Also if there is one, ring the radical that serves as the pronunciation guide. Some characters have been diliberately enlarged that you can see all the radicals clearly! Examples New character Pronounced Radicals? Draw each radical Its meaning? Why do you think it means that? mao sen shen tan cong yi jiao zuo fu ai jiao yao hei ji bao yi

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