To better understand Chinese characters, we can trace them back to their source in 小篆 (Xiǎozhuàn) calligraphy. 小篆 (Xiǎozhuàn) means ‘small seal’ and is a form of Chinese writing that dates from the Qin Dynasty (221B.C.-206B.C.). 秦始皇 (qín shǐ huáng) was the founder of the Qin Dynasty. He unified the Seven Warring States and created the first Chinese empire…. Read More
Check out Episode 3 of Scavenger Sunday featuring 电! This week Nora and Allen look at the character 电 (diàn). You can also check out the video on Youku! A: Hi everyone. I’m Allen from WrittenChinese.Com. Welcome back to Episode 3 of Scavenger Sunday! N: 欢迎大家收看我们的节目，我是 Nora。This week’s Scavenger Sunday we’re talking about the character 电… Read More
Welcome to Episode 2 of Scavenger Sunday! This week we ‘scavenged’ for the character 中 and you guys sent us some great videos and pictures. Watch the video below to see if your video or photo was featured. If you aren’t able to access the video through YouTube, you can check out the video on… Read More
Featured Image Source: 3D illustration by Quince Media Within the last few years, Halloween and many other western holidays, have arrived in China. Although sometimes the meaning behind the holiday gets a little lost, Chinese businesses, malls and theme parks embrace these days and have a little fun. Below are some Halloween themed vocabulary and… Read More
Here’s our NEW video blog series ‘Scavenger Sunday’ If you’re in China, or don’t have a VPN, you can still check out the video on Youku! Episode 1 takes The WrittenChinese.Com Team on a hunt for 人 (rén)! When you’ve finished watching, we want you to go out into your neighbourhood and take photos or… Read More
In my post, Written Chinese: Where do I start? I mentioned that when I first came to China, the idea of a radical was just as foreign as I was and being able to use them to read had never even crossed my mind. I remember the class when my Chinese teacher said we were going to… Read More