| Chinese Writing Symbols of Words was originated about 3,500 years ago in China. There are about 5,000 commonly used characters. The combinations of characters make words. English words are composed of letter, but Chinese words are made up of characters. |
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The relationship between Chinese spoken and written language is complex. The complexity lies by the fact that numerous variation of spoken Chinese have gone through centuries of evolution. The writing system is considered to have been a unifying force for much of Chinese history, transcending differences in spoken language. The Chinese Writing Symbols were evolved since the late Han Dynasty.
Before the 20th century, most Chinese writing was done in classical Chinese. It was not the same as spoken Chinese. But since 1919, the formal standard for written Chinese was changed to be closer to dialects of Mandarin. The term for standard written Chinese now refers to Vernacular Chinese.
Cantonese are unique from most Chinese dialects. It has its own written colloquial standard, and it is popular in Hong Kong. In comparison, the other regional languages do not have such widely used alternative written standards.
Chinese writing standards can be classified into the two basic types :
- Classical Chinese
- Other Chinese constrained writings and Poems.
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