Chinese%20writing%20system

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Chinese writing system

• Hui-Ju Chuang
• University of Hawaii-Manoa

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Sound system review

• Simple finals
• a o e i u ü
• Initials
• b p m f
• d t n l
• g k h
• j q x
• z c s
• zh ch sh r

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Sound system review
cha
xiang
xu
lu
su
qian
re
nan
zhou
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Sound system review
zu
cong
fùmu
zhèng
shuì
huì
jiu
xue
bànyè
yóng
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Tone changed rules

• When a third tone syllable is followed by another
  third tone syllable, the first syllable change to
  second tone
• e.g. hen hao --gt hén hao (very good)
  hao jiu  --gtháo jiu (good wine)

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• When two forth tone syllables occur together, the
  first syllable will change to second tone
• But only apply to two words yì (one) and bù (not)
  
• e.g. yì dìng ---gtyí dìng (definitely) bù
  duì--gt bú duì (not correct)

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Numbers

• 10, 20, 30, 4090
• ?(shí), ??(èr shí), ??(san shí),
• 1119
• ??(shí yi), ??(shí èr), ??(shí san),

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Chinese writing system

• Six categories
• ?? (xiàngxíng) Pictographs

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Chinese writing system

• 2. ?? (zhishì) Self-explanatory characters

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Chinese writing system

• 3. ??(huìyì) Associative compounds
• Sun moon -? bright
• ?rì ?yuè ?míng
• 4. ??(xíngsheng) Pictophonetic characters

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Chinese writing system

• 5. ??(zhuanzhù) Mutually explanatory characters
• e.g. ? lao ?kao
• elder to test
• 6. ?? (jiajiè) Phonetic loan characters
• e.g. ?lái ?hua
• to come flower/to
  spend

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Chinese basic stroke

• ? dot
• ? horizontal
• ? vertical
• ? downward left
• ? downward right
• ? upward
• ?? horizontal hook
• ?? vertical hook
• ?? slanted hook
• ?? horizontal bend
• ?? vertical bend

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Guidelines for stroke order

• A. From left to right
• B. From top to bottom
• C. Horizontal before vertical
• D. From outside to inside
• E. Middle before two sides
• F. Inside before closing

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Useful expressions

• A Ni hao! How do you do?
• B Ni hao! How do you do?
• A Dàjia hao! How are you, everyone?
• B Laoshi hao! How are you, teacher?

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• Shàng kè Lets begin the class.
• Xià kè The class is over.
• A Míngbai ma? Do you understand?
• B Míngbai le. Yes, I/we understand.
• A Dong bù dong? Do you understand?
• B Dong le. Yes, I/we understand.

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• Qing gen wo shou.
• Please repeat after me.
• Qing zài shou yí biàn.
• Please say it again.
• Qing wèn..
• Excuse me May I ask?
• Xièxie!
• Thank you.