Simplified vs Traditional
The differences
Traditional Chinese:
- This is the original form of written Chinese characters.
- The characters tend to be more complex, with more strokes and detailed components.
- Traditional Chinese is still widely used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
- It maintains the original structure and shape of the characters.
Simplified Chinese:
- This is a writing system that uses modified, simplified versions of traditional Chinese characters.
- The characters have fewer strokes and are generally more straightforward.
- Simplified Chinese was introduced in mainland China in the 1950s to increase literacy rates.
- It aims to make the characters easier to write and learn, especially for the common people.
The primary motivation for the simplification was to promote literacy and education in China. The simplified characters require less time and effort to learn and write. However, the traditional forms are considered more elegant and preserve more of the original cultural and historical significance of the characters.
Both traditional and simplified Chinese are considered valid and acceptable forms of the written language, with traditional being more common in certain regions and simplified being the standard in mainland China.
