There is a way in which SOMETIMES you can read a Chinese character that you have never seen before

Today we got a post: Is there a way to read a chinese character that I have never seen before

In that post, a Chinese guy put forward 形声字(phono-semantic compounds) to answer the question, then he got doubted. Soon the post turned into a debate on 形声字.

I have so much to say, so I've decided to create a new post.

Here we go.

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First, let Wiki or youtube help to introduce phono-semantic compounds to those who haven't learned them yet.

Wiki: Origin of Chinese characters)

Youtube video: History of Chinese writing system

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Phono-semantic compounds have two kinds of structures: 左右结构(left-right structure) and 上下结构(top-bottom structure).

Some examples of left-right structure are here: 妈 奶 姑 姨. The four words have the same left part 女, which is called 女字旁.

女字旁 is a semantic radical. If you know 女 means female, you can infer that 妈 奶 姑 姨 is about female.

女字旁 usually acts as the left part of left-right structure. If 女 is not the left part, like in 汝 and 安, we don't call it 女字旁.

Let's drop 女字旁 and see the rest part of the four words: 马 乃 古 夷.

How do we read 马 乃 古 夷? We read them like: mǎ nǎi gǔ yí.

How do we read 妈 奶 姑 姨? We read them like: mā nǎi gū yí.

See how close they are! After we drop 女字旁, the rest parts are the clues of pronunciation -- in other words, the phonetic radicals.

Another example is 骑. It also has left-right structure. We say, 骑 has a 马字旁 as its semantic radical. 马字旁 is usually the left part, like 女字旁.

So, we don't say 妈 has a 马字旁 as its semantic radical. That is why we don't think 妈 means mare as what a poster has argued.

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Some 偏旁部首(semantic radicals), are usually the right parts.

For instance, 剁. It has a刂, which is called 立刀旁, as its semantic radical.

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Two examples of top-bottom structure: 筷 and 忠. Their semantic radicals are respectively called 竹字头 and 心字底. 头 means head, so 竹字头 is the top part; 底 means bottom, so 心字底 is the bottom part.

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How do we read 奇 朵 快 中? -- qí duǒ kuài zhōng.

How do we read 骑 剁 筷 忠? -- qí duò kuài zhōng.

When we learn 偏旁部首(semantic radicals), there are 4 things to remember:

1. How to write them
2. Where they are put
3. What they are called
4. What meaning they imply

However, as you may have seen, the tones of a word and its phonetic radical can be different. I'll tell you something even worse: the tone is not the only possible difference. The vowel or/and consonant may be also different, partly as a result of historical phonetic evolution. That is why some posters (especially non-native Chinese speakers) think these radicals do not really work. However, do they?

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I would just say, there is a way in which SOMETIMES you can read a Chinese character that you have never seen before.

I would not say, there is one in which you ALWAYS can do that.

I know they don't ALWAYS work.

Though, I still believe they work, and we should learn them.

Sounds weird?

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One of the editorial reviews of the book Henry Kissinger On China said:

The book deftly traces the rhythms and patterns in Chinese history…even as it explicates the philosophical differences that separate it from the United States.”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

Right now, we are dealing with one of the philosophical differences.

If in 50% or more cases, a theory cannot predict experiment results correctly, scientists do not say it is proved, and it shouldn't be made a principle or applied to guide us.

However, if that theory can predict experiment results correctly or almost correctly in the other 50% cases, is it possible to get any help from it by all means?

I wouldn't say we cannot possibly get any.

So, could we apply it carefully?

I would say yes, as long as the worst result is acceptable and the benefit is enough.

In Chinese language learning, I think it is OK to apply such a theory, and actually that is what we've been doing in China. Often, it benefits us. Sometimes, it makes us wrong. But as we all know, when we are trying to learn a language, making mistakes is acceptable. You make mistakes, then correct them.

Will you use a tool, if it is not really scientific, but it benefits you and doesn't really harm you?

I don't know whether you accept that tool. But truth is, we do accept it. 形声字 and 偏旁部首 are taught to students in Chinese schools.

Students apply them. They find Chinese characters easier. They gain confidence. They speed up learning. They get benefit. If they are wrong with a couple of characters, it doesn't matter. They just correct their mistakes.

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At last, I would like to argue, in English, can you really ALWAYS correctly read a word which you have never seen before?

If you did not learn the word women, how would you pronounce that O?

And why do we read O in to and so differently?

Look at ough in though, through, rough, thorough. What's on your mind now?

English spelling can be irrgular and illogical. So what? You don't care. You can learn to manage that.

So can we, when we learn Chinese.

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As a teacher, I like to assign homework.

Homework 1:

Learn the following groups of characters, including their phonetic and semantic radicals.

仑 伦 论 轮 抡

里 理 狸 锂 鲤

中 忠 种 钟 盅

安 按 氨 桉 案

青 清 请 情 晴 (notice: it's 晴, not 睛）

各 格 阁 铬 硌

羊 样 痒 洋 氧

Homework 2:

List 10 characters whose vowels or/and consonants read different from those of their phonetic radicals.

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