Chinese writing is logographic, that is, every symbol either represents a word or a minimal unit of meaning. When I write the character , it not only has a sound, niu, it has a meaning, “cow.” Only a ...

Mastering Chinese is daunting, in large part because learners must memorize thousands of distinct characters. So it is both a revelation and a relief to learners when they discover radicals. Radicals ...

However, among all of these writing systems, Chinese characters, Hanzi, hold a special place in my heart as being the most elegant and aesthetic. Despite the practical limitations of Chinese ...

Chinese Characters is a new series of essays exploring Chinese history through the life stories of key personalities. Here, series presenter Rana Mitter tells the story of Wu Zetian, the female ...