Chinese Symbols for Words

Reference & Education

  • Author Tim Grote
  • Published April 4, 2010
  • Word count 452

Chinese symbols are the exact opposite of English. They are intriguing and beautiful, like little pictures, each and every character. Some of them are so complex they look like pictures inside pictures. It must have taken quite some time to develop this language.

There are many spoken languages in China, spanning 6 language families, with each family having many local dialects. This is because China is comprised of 56 ethnic groups. Yeah, hard to believe, isn't it? We tend to think of Chinese people as having an East Asian appearance, but in Western China there are white Chinese people. No kidding! They live near Russia, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and some even speak Russian, Arabic, or other regional languages.

The 2 most common spoken languages in China are Mandarin and Cantonese. Mandarin is the official language of China, but not all learn to speak it. This means that people from different regions may not be able to speak to each other. However, they may be able to read and write to effectively communicate. This is because even though China has many spoken languages, there is only 1 official writing system. The Chinese writing system, called hanzi (han zuh), is comprised of logograms that have been around for nearly 5000 years. These logograms are the origins of today's Chinese symbols.

Western culture is fascinated by Chinese culture and in finding Chinese symbols for words. We want to know things like "what's the Chinese symbol for love or strength?" Love is "Ai" and strength is "Li Liang". A lot of time is spent on finding Chinese symbols for words. The Internet is a great resource for finding Chinese characters, and more websites seem to pop up all the time, offering translation of Chinese symbols for English words.

Not only words are sought after, but names too. People like to know what their name looks like in Chinese symbols. Although there's no direct translation of English names, Chinese symbols can be used to phonetically sound them out. You can find Chinese symbols for names at various websites.A

lot of people also like to get Chinese symbol tattoos. A tattoo with a Chinese symbol is a great way for people to express themselves, and it makes a great conversation piece! You've probably seen Chinese symbol tattoos on people's neck, arms, legs, back, or ankles. Next time you see a Chinese symbol tattoo, ask what it means!

In summary, Chinese symbols for words are very popular in Western society. Their artistic value makes them great for tattoos, art projects, and more. With China being an up and coming global power, it's not a bad idea to learn some Chinese symbols yourself! One thing's for sure, we'll be seeing more of them every day.

About Author:

Tim Grote is the editor of E-Chinese-Symbols.com, the Chinese symbols authority on the Internet. Find more about Chinese symbols for words at his site.

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