This is a mini-guide to Chinese characters. You can either click "Start" and you will be guided from one section to another or you can click on the right-hand side to go to the section of your choice.

Chinese writing is logographic, that is, every symbol either represents a word or a minimal unit of meaning. When I write the character , it not only has a sound, niu, it has a meaning, “cow.” Only a ...

Even to the untutored eye, Chinese characters are not an alphabet, though many Americans who want to ask about them do not know what term to use for them, and questions are often asked such as, "Is it ...