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Simplification of Chinese Characters

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Simplified Radicals
Simplified Parts of Characters
Simplified Characters
Simplified Characters in Japan
The government of the People's Republic of China took measures to enhance literacy in the new founded socialist state. These measures did not only mean that much more schools were opened, especially in the countryside, but the complicated writing system of Chinese underwent a simplification to make it easier for everybody to learn some 2000 characters needed for daily life - and of course, to study the official newspapers and the Communist writings.
In 1956 the State Council published a first list with 230 simplified characers, a second list included 299 characters, and the third step were 54 simplified radicals.

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1. Simplified Radicals

(jianhua bushou 簡化部首; number=stroke number)
(3)廴(2):攵(4)攵(3):礻(5)礻(4)(5)禸(4):糹
:艹(4)艹(3):衤(6)衤(5):辶(4)辶(3)
:阝(3)阝(2):釒:阝(3)阝(2)
:飠
齿
Some radicals have a different shape if standing alone, in top or bottom position or on the left or right side of the character. Sometimes it is difficult for unexperienced people to find out the original shape of the radical. Therefore, all different shapes of radicals are taken as separate radicals:
For unexperienced people, it is sometimes difficult to discern between two different radicals and their shapes. Some radicals are therefore unified in one:
==彐<<巳<当<羔差<即
=<危<爫<孑天<夭<覀西
Because the simplification of many characters is extremely, the simplified forms will have a very different radical: 農 (radical 辰), simplified to 农 (radical 冖).

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To make it easier to find a radical, the goverment of the PRC created many new radicals. Additionally, characters with two possible radicals can be found under both to spare time-consuming radical search, like 忘 (亡 and 心). These new radicals are not really standardized and may differ dictionary to dictionary:
勇予豫疏亡忘盲妄赢开弊尤无尬尴
小尔尘当尚省天夭乔吞蚕老考孝者廿廿共恭巷黄燕不歪甭
中忠贵尺尽昼奉奏春泰秦去丢却劳荣营莹
戎戌成咸威戚党堂常掌业凿由胄邮申畅
券卷拳眷亦变弯栾载裁哉栽亚严恶晋
光辉耀束柬敕赖整乾韩翰朝是匙题

2. Simplified parts of characters that are characters themselves

(jianhua pianpang 簡化偏旁): Chinese characters consist of separable parts that are used countless times in many different characters. Often used parts are simplified to make learning easier. In the table down, these parts are arranged in alphabetical order (Pinyin Romanization) of the pronunciation of the simple character. Some of the characters serve as radical and are marked with a star*. Examples for these simplified parts of characters are given in brackets. A few examples are not included in the Unicode encoding and are therefore listed as traditional characters in square brackets[].
For example, the character 僉 qian is simplified as 佥. As part of characters, it is likewise abbreviated, like 剑检捡 (read jian), or 脸 (read lian). The simplified character 签 (read qian) is an abbreviation of 簽 as well as of 籤.
ai愛爱ba罷罢bei備备bi筆笔bi畢毕bian邊边bin賓宾
(嫒)
(摆罴)
(惫)
(滗)
(跸)
(笾)
(滨膑鬓)
can參参cang倉仓chan產产chang嘗尝chang*長长che*車车
(惨)
(苍沧)
(萨)
(鲿)
(帐张胀)
(挥裤阵连)
chi*齒齿chong蟲虫chu芻刍cong從从cuan竄窜
(啮)
(蛊)
(雏邹趋驺)
(苁纵耸)
(撺)
da達达dai帶带dan單单dang當当dang黨党er爾尔fa發发feng豐丰
(闼挞)
(滞)
(禅掸弹蝉)
(档挡)
(傥)
(迩弥玺)
(废泼)
(沣艳)
dong東东dong動动duan斷断dui對对dui隊队feng*風风
(冻陈)
(恸)
(簖)
(怼)
(坠)
(枫讽砜)
gang岡冈guang廣广gui歸归hua華华hua畫画hui匯汇hui會会
(刚纲钢)
(犷矿旷扩)
(岿)
(桦骅烨晔)
(婳)
[擓]
(绘烩侩浍)
guo國国guo過过gui*龜龟
(帼掴)
(挝)
(阄)
ji幾几jia夾夹jian戔戋jian監监jian薦荐jian*見见ke殼壳
(机讥饥)
(挟郏峡侠)
(践贱钱浅)
(滥蓝)
(鞯)
(觉现觅览)
(悫)
jiang將将jie節节jin盡尽jin進进ju舉举
(蒋)
(栉)
(荩烬赆)
(琎)
(榉)
lai來来le樂乐li離离li歷历li麗丽liang兩两ling靈灵
(莱涞俫)
(栎烁砾)
(篱)
(沥枥疬)
(骊郦鹂)
(俩魉满瞒)
(棂)
liu劉刘long*龍龙lou婁娄lu盧卢lu虜虏lu錄录
(浏)
(陇胧厐聋)
(楼镂蝼屡)
(芦炉庐)
(掳)
(箓)
慮虑lun侖仑luo羅罗
(摅滤)
(论轮抡沦)
(锣逻箩)
ma*馬马mai買买mai賣卖mai*麥麦nan難难nie聶聂
(冯闯笃)
(荬)
(读续窦牍)
(唛)
(滩摊)
(摄滠)
men*門门min*黽黾ning寧宁nong農农
(扪润简)
(绳渑)
(柠泞)
(浓脓)
qi豈岂qi*氣气qi*齊齐qian僉佥qian遷迁
(凯恺)
(忾饩)
(济剂)
(剑检捡签)
(跹)
qiao喬乔qin親亲qiong窮穷qu區区
(桥骄侨)
(榇)
[藭]
(欧躯枢)
se嗇啬sha殺杀shen審审sheng聖圣shi時时shi師师tiao條条
(墙穑)
(铩)
(婶谉)
(柽)
(鲥埘)
(狮筛)
(绦鲦)
shou壽寿shu屬属shuang雙双su肅肃sui歲岁sun孫孙
(涛焘祷筹)
(嘱)
([扌+双])
(萧箫啸)
(秽)
(逊荪)
wan萬万wei為为wei*韋韦xian獻献xiang鄉乡xie寫写xun尋寻
(历沥迈)
(伪)
(围绕违)
(谳)
(飨)
(泻)
(浔鲟挦)
wu烏乌wu無无
(邬)
(抚芜)
ya亞亚yan嚴严yan厭厌yao堯尧ye業业ye*頁页yi義义
(恶壶娅)
(俨)
(恹魇)
(烧绕挠晓)
(邺)
(撷烦倾巅)
(仪议蚁)
yi藝艺yin陰阴yin隱隐you猶犹yu與与yu*魚鱼yun雲云
(呓)
(荫)
(瘾)
(莸)
(屿欤)
(渔橹癣)
(昙芸叆)
zheng鄭郑zhi執执zhi質质zhuan專专
(掷踯)
(贽挚)
(踬)
(转砖传)

3. Simplified parts of characters whose single form is not abbreviated or not existing

A handful of character parts can not stand alone for themselves, or are not abbreviated if they stand alone for themselves, but only as parts of characters (also compare radicals like 食 shi "eating" that is not abbreviated standing alone, but abbreviated as radical (饱馒饿 simplified 飽饅餓):
single character not simplifiedsingle character not existing
罚狱蔼浒奖桨浆酱;
component 將 simplifiable!
劳荣营莹沟购构(冓); exceptions: 觏篝
other abbreviation: 讲
汤杨场垦恳学觉搅欢观(雚);
exceptions: 寰圜灌
荭哟鸶橼拦栏烂
component 蘭 is simplifiable! NACH OBEN!
译泽择释(辠)环还(睘)
览揽鉴变弯栾湾怀坏(褱)
嵚揿窝娲祸锅(咼)艰难(堇)
谗搀馋;
exception: 巉
竖坚贤紧(戠,只)剧据
胆担;
exceptions:瞻谵蟾
识织职(臤)腊猎
堕随经轻颈径(巠)

4. Simplified Whole Characters

(jianhua zi 簡化字): Except radicals and regular parts of characters, there are 352 characters with special abbreviations. The following table gives an overview over these characters with special abbreviations and simplification. Bold characters signify that the abbreviated characters is a character already existing, but with different meaning.
A
ai礙碍ang骯肮ao襖袄
B
ba壩坝ban闆板ban辦办bang幫帮bao寶宝bao報报bi幣币
bi斃毙biao標标biao錶表bie彆别bu蔔卜bu補补
C
cai纔才can蠶蚕can燦灿ceng層层
chan纏缠chan懺忏chang償偿chang廠厂che徹彻chen塵尘chen襯衬
cheng稱称cheng懲惩chi遲迟chong衝冲chou醜丑chu齣出chu礎础
chu處处chu觸触ci辭辞cong聰聪cong叢丛
D
E
dao導导deng燈灯deng鄧邓er兒ㄦ
di敵敌di遞递di籴糴dian點点dian澱淀
dian電电die疊迭dong鼕冬dou鬥斗du獨独
dun噸吨duo奪夺
F
fan礬矾fan範范fen墳坟fen奮奋fen粪糞feng鳳凤
fu膚肤fu婦妇fu復复fu覆复fu複复
G
gai蓋盖gan乾干gan幹干gan趕赶ge個个
gong鞏巩gu穀谷
gu顧顾gua颳刮guan關关gui櫃柜
H
han漢汉hao號号he閤合hong轟轰hou後后
hu鬍胡hu壺壶hu滬沪hu護护hua劃划
huai壞坏huai懷怀環环huan還还
hui迴回huo夥伙hu獲获hu穫获
J
ji擊击ji雞鸡ji積积ji極极ji際际ji繼继jia傢家
jia價价jian艱艰jian繭茧jian揀拣jian歼殲jian鹼硷jian艦舰
jiang薑姜jiang漿浆jiang槳桨jiang獎奖jiang醬酱jiang講讲jiao膠胶
jie階阶jie潔洁jie癤疖jie藉借jin僅仅jing驚惊jing競竞
jiu舊旧ju劇剧ju據据ju懼惧juan捲卷
K
kai開开ke剋克ken墾垦ken懇恳
kua誇夸kuai塊块kui虧亏kun睏困
L
la臘腊la蠟蜡lan蘭兰lan攔拦lan欄栏lan爛烂lei纍累lei壘垒
lei類类li裡里li禮礼li隸隶lian簾帘lian聯联lian煉炼lian練练
lian憐怜liang糧粮liao瞭了liao療疗liao遼辽lie獵猎lin臨临lin鄰邻
ling嶺岭lu廬庐lu蘆芦lu爐炉lu陸陆驢驴luan亂乱
M
me麼么mei黴霉meng矇蒙meng濛蒙meng懞蒙meng夢梦
mian麵面miao廟庙mie滅灭mie衊蔑mu畝亩
N
nao惱恼nao腦脑ni擬拟niang釀酿nüe瘧疟
P
pan盤盘pi闢辟ping蘋苹ping凴凭pu撲扑pu僕仆pu樸朴
Q
qi啟启qian籤签qian韆千qian牽牵qian縴纤qian纖纤qiao竅窍qie竊窃
qin寢寝qing慶庆qiong瓊琼qiu鞦秋qu麯曲quan權权quan勸劝que確确
R
rang讓让rao擾扰re熱热ren認认
S
sa灑洒san傘伞sang喪丧sao掃扫se澀涩shai曬晒shang傷伤
she捨舍shen瀋沈sheng聲声sheng勝胜shi濕湿shi實实shi適适
shi勢势shou獸兽shu書书shu術术shu樹树shuai帥帅song鬆松
su蘇苏su囌苏sui雖虽
T
tai臺台tai檯台tai颱台tai態态tan壇坛tan罈坛tan嘆叹
teng謄誊ti體体ti糴籴tie鐵铁ting聽听ting廳厅tou頭头
tu圖图tu塗涂tuan團团tuan糰团tui橢椭
W
wa漥洼wa襪袜wang網网wei衛卫wen穩稳wu務务wu霧雾
X
xi犧牺xi習习xi係系xi繫系xi戏戲xia虾蝦xia吓嚇xian鹹咸
xian顯显xian憲宪xian縣县xiang響响xiang嚮向xiang像象xie協协xie脅胁
xie褻亵xin釁衅xing興兴xu鬚须xuan懸悬xuan選选xuan鏇旋
Y
ya壓压yan鹽盐yang陽阳yang養养yang癢痒yang樣样yao鑰钥
yao药藥ye爺爷ye葉叶yi醫医yi億亿yi憶忆ying應应
yong癰痈yong擁拥yong傭俑yong踴踊you憂忧you優优you郵邮
yu餘余yu禦御yu籲吁yu鬱郁yu譽誉yuan淵渊yuan園园
yuan遠远yuan愿愿yue躍跃yun運运yun醞酝
Z
za雜杂zang贓赃zang臟脏zang髒脏zao鑿凿zao棗枣zao竈灶zhan氈毡
zhan戰战zhao趙赵zhe摺折zhe這这zheng證证zheng徵征zheng癥症zhi隻只
zhi祇只zhi緻致zhi製制zhong鐘钟zhong鍾钟zhong腫肿zhong種种zhong眾众
zhou晝昼zhu硃朱zhu燭烛zhu築筑zhuang莊庄zhuang樁桩zhuang妝妆zhuang裝装
zhuang壯壮zhuang狀状zhun準准zhu濁浊zong總总zuan鑽钻

Simplified Characters in Japan

the 4th century on, Japan adopted the Chinese writing system. Chinese characters are the origin of the Japanese Hiragana and Katakana syllable alphabets. But the Chinese characters (jap. Kanji) made their own way in the Japanese archipelago. Many simplified characters in Japan are not identicalto the Chinese simplifications.

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(C) Ulrich Theobald 2002-2004