6 Methods to create Chinese Characters
六種方法創造:
1. 象形
2. 指事
3. 會意
4. 假借
5. 形聲
6. 轉注
Explanation:
1. 象形 (form imitation) - pictograms, stylized drawings of the objects they represent. The pictures become more and more stylized until they lose their pictographic forms and become words.
2. 指事 (indication) - an abstract idea that is expressed in an iconic form including iconic modifications of pictographic characters.
3. 會意 (joined meaning) - two or more ideographic characters combined to suggest a third meaning
4.假借 (borrowing; making use of) - like homophones. Characters are "borrowed" to write another homophonous word.
5. 形聲 (form and sound) - radical-phonetic characters. Created by combining different radicals to similar determinative characters and creating words with similar phonetic readings.
6. 轉注 (reciprocal meaning) - characters which have similar meanings and often the same root but with different pronunciations and meanings.
Examples:
1. 象形:
日, 山, 水, 牛, 羊
2. 指事:
一, 二, 三, 上, 下
3. 會意:
木 x2 = 林, 木 x3 = 森, 人 + 木 = 休, 女 + 子 = 好, 木 x2 + 火 = 焚
4. 假借:
四 => 泗, 枼 => 葉, 北 => 背, 要 => 腰, 永 => 泳
5. 形聲:
+ 木 = 沐, 水 + 林 = 淋, 艹 + 采 = 菜, 扌 + 白 = 拍
6. 轉注:
1. 象形
2. 指事
3. 會意
4. 假借
5. 形聲
6. 轉注
Explanation:
1. 象形 (form imitation) - pictograms, stylized drawings of the objects they represent. The pictures become more and more stylized until they lose their pictographic forms and become words.
2. 指事 (indication) - an abstract idea that is expressed in an iconic form including iconic modifications of pictographic characters.
3. 會意 (joined meaning) - two or more ideographic characters combined to suggest a third meaning
4.假借 (borrowing; making use of) - like homophones. Characters are "borrowed" to write another homophonous word.
5. 形聲 (form and sound) - radical-phonetic characters. Created by combining different radicals to similar determinative characters and creating words with similar phonetic readings.
6. 轉注 (reciprocal meaning) - characters which have similar meanings and often the same root but with different pronunciations and meanings.
Examples:
1. 象形:
日, 山, 水, 牛, 羊
2. 指事:
一, 二, 三, 上, 下
3. 會意:
木 x2 = 林, 木 x3 = 森, 人 + 木 = 休, 女 + 子 = 好, 木 x2 + 火 = 焚
4. 假借:
四 => 泗, 枼 => 葉, 北 => 背, 要 => 腰, 永 => 泳
5. 形聲:
+ 木 = 沐, 水 + 林 = 淋, 艹 + 采 = 菜, 扌 + 白 = 拍
6. 轉注: