The Chinese Language and

Characters

中国语言文字

Chinese Language(Hanyu)

• Spoken by the Hans, 94% of China’s population.

• Different, non-Han languages are spoken by the remaining 6% of the population, the minority peoples/nationalities, such as the Uigur, Mongols and Tibetans.

Dialects in Chinese• Northern dialect• Wu dialect• Xiang• Cantonese • Min• Hakka• Gan(Cantonese, Min and Hakka are widely

spoken among overseas Chinese communities.)

Mandarin Chinese(Putonghua, or common speech)

• Speakers of different dialects may find each other unintelligible, but dialects are unified by the fact that they share a common script (written language).

• Putonghua (also known as Mandarin Chinese, Modern Standard Chinese): the official or common language of the PRC, based on the northern dialect.

• Guoyu in Taiwan

Traditional Chinese vs.Simplified Chinese

• In the interests of promoting universal literacy, the Committee for Reforming the Chinese Language was set up by the mainland government in 1954. Around 2,200 Chinese characters were simplified in 1956. 爱

• The second batch of simplified Chinese was released in 1977 and was officially cancelled in 1986. 宣

When Did Chinese Characters Begin to Be Written Horizontally Instead of

Vertically?• Traditional Chinese characters had been

written in vertical lines from right to left. • To adapt for quoting original foreign

texts in Chinese, all the Chinese newspapers and magazines published on the mainland have adopted the new way of writing with Chinese characters printed vertically since 1956. But many presses in Taiwan and Hong Kong still print Chinese characters vertically.

Chinese Pinyin• In 1958 the Chinese adopted Pinyin, a

system of recording the language using the Roman alphabet.

• Since 1979 all translated texts of Chinese diplomatic documents, as well as Chinese magazines published in foreign languages, have used the pinyin system for spelling names and places.

• In 1982, the International Organization for Standardization also adopted it as the standard romanization system for modern Chinese.

• Chinese characters were originally pictographs of people, animals or other things, but over the centuries their shape has changed in various ways and many no longer resemble the things they represent. 木 林 森 一 二 三

• Many characters have been combined with others to create new ones. 日 月 明

Chinese Characters

mǎ horse

（ Traditional ）

（ Simplified ）

zhú, bamboo

笔

竹

毛

Different Writing Styles• There are also many styles of

writings. 龍 龙• You may have your own unique

writing style or you may copy and learn from others. (Textbook P99)

• Four great schools of calligraphy: Yan, Liu, Ou and Zhao

Descriptions of styles

Four great schools/styles of calligraphy: Yan, Liu, Ou and Zhao

• Yan Style of Calligraphy produces characters with powerful framework.

• The characters of the Liu school are compared to the bones of the body.

• Ou style is marked by characters of strength.

• Zhao characters are compared to the flesh of the body.

Appreciation ofChinese Calligraphy

• Calligraphy is sometimes an abstract art.

• While viewing a Western abstract painting, one does not ask, "What is it?"

When viewing Chinese calligraphy, one need not ask, "What is the Chinese word?" Just look at them for enjoyment. Do not be bothered with questions of theory, technique, etc. Do not worry about "What is it?"

Why Is Calligraphy Important

• One of the four skills critical to traditional Chinese scholars: playing a stringed musical instrument (Qin), a strategic board game (Qi), calligraphy (shu), and painting (hua);

• Works of Calligraphy: words or lines of poems, good wishes, encouragement or mottoes;

• Often offered as gifts for home decorations

宿建德江孟浩然

移舟泊烟渚， 日暮客愁新。野旷天低树，江清月近人。

Homework

• What percentage of class time should be allocated to the teaching and learning of the Chinese language in this course? Why?