Should I use Chinese simplified or traditional?

Simplified Chinese is typically used when translating for mainland China, Singapore, Malaysia, and international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank. However, when translating for audiences in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau and international immigrant communities, Traditional Chinese is the norm.

What is the point of simplified Chinese?

The Government of the People’s Republic of China introduced simplified Chinese characters in 1946. Their main goal in introducing Simplified Chinese was to increase literacy. Simplified Chinese is now used in Mainland China, Malaysia (in official publications), and Singapore.

Is Simplified Chinese actually easier?

Some people may claim that Simplified Chinese is easier to learn, but it is only partially true. Simplified Chinese characters contain fewer strokes and may be easier to remember for new learners. The actual effort involved in learning either traditional or simplified characters is quite similar.

Why did China switch to simplified?

The majority of “common” people in China could not read their system of writing, it was too complex. As with other developments that took place during this era it was deemed necessary to make a system of reading that was easier to learn and use. Hence “Simplified” Chinese was born.

Why Singapore use simplified Chinese?

After the 1980s, due to the open door policy of mainland China, Singapore began to have greater contact with mainland China. Consequently, Singapore began to adopt Hanyu Pinyin and changed its writing system from Traditional Chinese characters to Simplified Chinese characters.

Did Simplified Chinese increased literacy?

Although some argue that compulsory education is what lifted the majority of the population out of illiteracy, it is clear that using simplified characters has been a powerful tool in improving the literacy rate of a great number of Chinese.

When did Singapore change to simplified Chinese?

They simplified the characters from 1952–1986 in an attempt to make the learning process easier for citizens. Singapore, in its own race toward efficiency, underwent a parallel process of simplification between 1969 and 1993.

Is Chinese language dying in Singapore?

Despite efforts to preserve its cultural heritage, the country is at risk of completely losing the speakers and history of its Chinese dialects. A street in Singapore’s Chinatown showcasing the four official languages of the country.

Which Chinese is better to learn?

Mandarin is easier to learn As we covered above, Mandarin is easier to learn in regards to both writing and speaking. Cantonese is seen to be more difficult because it has from 6 to 9 tones, each of which signify different things (while Mandarin only has 4 tones).

What is the debate on traditional and simplified Chinese characters?

The debate on traditional Chinese characters and simplified Chinese characters is an ongoing dispute concerning Chinese orthography among users of Chinese characters. It has stirred up heated responses from supporters of both sides in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan,…

What are the advantages of simplified characters in Chinese?

Simplified characters remove a lot of cruft from the Chinese language. Long ago, the character for cloud was 云. Then it was co-opted to mean a word with a similar pronunciation meaning “to say”, and in order to disambiguate the two, a rain radical (雨) was added to the character to make 雲.

Where are traditional and simplified Chinese used?

Today, it is the standard writing system for over one billion Chinese citizens. Where Are Traditional and Simplified Chinese Used? Traditional Chinese is the written script used in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau. There are two officially recognized varieties: Traditional Chinese for Hong Kong SAR and Traditional Chinese for Taiwan.

Why are radicals removed from simplified Chinese characters?

These critics point out that many of the fundamental characteristics underlying Chinese characters, including radicals as well as etymological and phonetic elements, were deliberately omitted in their simplified form at least partly for this reason (i.e., disrupting continuity with traditional Chinese culture).