Did you know there are only 6 ways of forming Chinese characters? Yes, 6 kinds of Chinese characters make up the 50,000 Chinese characters in existence today. Amazing isn’t it? It shows that there is a logical symbol system used to create Chinese characters. That they are not just random lines and strokes. Once you know these 6 types of Chinese characters, you’l find that learning Chinese writing isn’t so difficult after all. Oh, one more thing… The “radicals” No, these have nothing to do with extremists or terrorists.:) They are the “root elements” of Chinese characters. The meaning part of Chinese characters. There are 214 of them. They exist independently or are part of complex characters. Once you get a general idea of the common radicals, you can guess the meaning of Chinese characters. Modern Chinese dictionaries are organized by radicals

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