Introduction to Chinese Characters
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- General readers interested in the structure and evolution of Chinese characters who want systematic introductory knowledge
- Lower-year students majoring in Chinese, history, archaeology, and related fields who need basic supplementary material on character studies
- Chinese language teachers who wish to enrich their classroom explanations of Chinese characters
- Self-learners willing to learn the six categories and basic phonology chapter by chapter
Not a good fit for
- Readers who already have a deep foundation in character studies and wish to directly study specialized textual research
- Readers who only want to quickly look up the origins of individual Chinese characters; this book is more of a systematic exposition
- Those expecting a large number of plates or content on calligraphy appreciation; the materials do not indicate that this is the main focus
Reading tips
- First read through the general discussion of the six categories, establish the framework, and then read the regular and variant examples category by category.
- For each type of construction, pick five common characters and try to classify them to test your understanding.
- Slow down for the phonology section and read aloud repeatedly in connection with the character examples in the book.
- After finishing, organize the definitions, example characters, and variant examples of the six categories in a table for easy review.
About the publisher
Founded in 1985, Social Sciences Academic Press (SSAP) is known for its "Pishu" (Blue Book) series, Pishu database, and academic journals, and has long been dedicated to professional academic publishing in the humanities and social sciences. The books in the library cover foreign literature, social sciences, world history, historical reading, politics, and classical poetry. They include cross-cultural works such as The Poetry of Yehuda Amichai (3 volumes, centenary commemorative revised edition) and Similar in Form, Different in Essence: What Are the Structural Differences Between Traditional Chinese and Japanese Political Cultures, as well as world history translations such as The Hundred Years War, Volume 1: Trial by Battle (2 volumes) and To End All Wars: Loyalty, Rebellion, and World War I (1914–1918), along with social science and historical studies such as Six Essays on Spontaneity: Autonomy, Dignity, and Meaningful Work and Play, The Return of the Fierce General: A New Jiangnan History of Dongting East Mountain, and An Example-Based Guide to the Method of Organizing Tang Poetry Documents. Its authors include Yehuda Amichai, Fu Hao, Ge Zhaoguang, Jonathan Sumption, and Adam Hochschild. Public information is limited, so this introduction focuses on the publishing directions reflected in the library's books.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 前言
- 緒論
- 一、中國漢字的初造
- 二、中國漢字的要素
- 三、中國漢字的特性
- 六書及舉例
- 象形
- 正文
- 指事
- 附：象形與指事的區分
- 會意
- 形聲
- 轉注
- 假借
- 聲韻略説
- 第一節 聲韻音的名稱：季剛先生《聲韻通例》説
- 第二節 反切
- 第三節 聲
- 第四節 古韻的研究
- 第五節 幾個名稱的解釋
- 附録一：季剛先生二十一條例例字
- 附録二：《説文解字》五四〇部首標音
- 附録三：蜂腰繼絶傳薪火——懷念我的恩師林景伊（尹）先生
FAQ
Can I understand this book without a foundation in ancient Chinese?
What is the difference between the regular and variant examples of the six categories discussed in the book?
How is this book different from ordinary books of stories about Chinese characters?
Comments
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About the author
Liu Kexiong is an author about whom little public information is available. The only work currently confirmed under this name is An Introduction to Chinese Characters, which falls under the category of language and writing. Judging from the title and category, the book is aimed at beginners and introduces the fundamentals of Chinese characters, likely covering their forms, pronunciations, meanings, and basic methods of learning them; it is an introductory and popularizing work. Since only one title is included and no detailed biographical information is available, it is not possible to confirm the author's nationality, dates of birth and death, educational background, or research focus, nor is it appropriate to speculate further about his writing career. Based on the available material, Liu Kexiong's writing centers on the topic of introducing Chinese characters and serves readers who wish to gain a systematic understanding of them. Works of this kind usually emphasize step-by-step guidance and practical instruction, offering reference value in helping readers build an overall understanding of Chinese characters; the specific features and reach of this book still require more public information to clarify.
