"The authors of this book have conducted extensive research on Chinese lexicology, etymology, phonology and grammar, and now share their expertise with Chinese language learners. Learning Chinese characters takes more time and effort for those whose native language uses alphabetic writing systems. The authors solved this problem by reinterpreting some of Chinese characters in their own imaginative ways. This extends readers’ horizons and helps them to make sense of the structures of Chinese characters through the use of interesting stories and fascinating cartoons. The characters in this book are organized around topics such as people, life, nature, etc. for the sake of easy recollection. The book helps learners to build their Chinese character and vocabulary base by grouping relevant characters and their associated words and phrases in a family in a systematic way. This book is an indispensable aid for people who want to master basic and commonly used Chinese characters and vocabulary within a short time. It is also a very useful reference book for Chinese language teachers."

Introduction 06 User Guide 08 People 12 Human body 14 Head | ?1, 京2, 高3, 亥4, 亡5, ?6, 首7, ?8, 而9 Face | 面10, 目11, 直12, ?13, 艮14, 良15, 口16, 可17, 奇18, 古19, ?20, 音21, 言22, 欠23, 舌24, 牙25, 自26 Body | 身27 心28 骨29 ?30 Hand | 手31, 才32, 爪33, 又34, 史35, ?36, 聿37, ?38, ?39, 寸40, 付41, 寺42, ?43, 其44, ?45, ?46, 包47, ?48, 勿49, ?50, 支51 Foot | 足52, 止53, 正54, 疋55, ?56, 各57, 舛58, ?59, ?60, ?61, ?62 Person 151 人 | 人63, ?64, ?65, 今66, ?67, ?68, ?69, ?70, ?71, 兄72, 元73 大 | 大74, ?75, ?76, 央77, 夭78, 立79, ?80 Shape of a person | ?81, 己82, 乙83, 也84, ?85, 令86, ?87, 匕88, 旨89, 尸90, 尺91 Title 221 Inherited | 巳92, ?93, 去94, 子95, 女96, 母97, 父98, 氏99, ?100, 者101, ?102 Social | 辛103, 士104, 壬105, 臣106, ?107, 王108 Life 256 War 258 Weapons | 弓109, ?110, 矢111, 至112, 戈113, 戊114, ?115, 矛116, ?117, 斤118, 刀119, 召120, 干121, 平122, ?123 Transportation | ?124, 舟125 Ceremonies | 示126, 卜127, 卓128, 兆129 Necessities of life 305 Clothes | 衣130, 巾131, ?132, 文133, 白134, ?135, ?136 Food | 食137, 米138, 禾139, 豆140 Shelter | ?141, 穴142, ?143, ?144, ?145, 互146, ?147, ?148, ?149, 向150, 里151 Agriculture 356 Land | 土152, 圭153, 田154, ?155, 由156, 申157, 火158 Tools | 力159, 方160, ?161 Containers | 酉162, ?163, 斗164, ?165, 用166, ?167, ?168, ?169, 西170 Nature 396 Animals 398 Land animals | 羊171, 犬172, ?173, 豕174, 牛175, ?176 Other animals | ?177, ?178, 只179, ?180, 非181, 羽182, ?183, ?184, ?185, ?186, 辰187 Animal by-products | 毛188, 皮189, ?190, 角191, 肉192, 阜193, ?194 Natural scenery 438 山195, 谷196, 石197, 玉198, 金199, 工200, 水201, ?202, ?203, ?204, 雨205, ?206, ?207, 生208, ?209, 木210, ?211, 林212, ?213, ?214, 片215, 竹216, ?217 Heavenly bodies 484 日218, ?219, 昔220, 月221, 夕222 Miscellaneous 496 一223, 且224, 丁225, 二226, 云227, 井228, 八229, 九230, 十231, ?232, ?233, ?234, 小235 A concluding remark 525 Hanyu Pin’yin index 528 Index of Base Characters 535

Chinese characters are represented as pictograms which are based on the shape of objects. If you feel even slightly disheartened that you will have to memorize each one if them, then do not worry. Just as the English language learning system is based on alphabets (A, B, C, etc.) which are a set of characters that represent the phonemic structure of the language; similarly, Chinese language has about 250 basic and radical characters. Remember that you can combine these Chinese characters or break them in order to easily read, write and understand them.

How must one learn the basic characters?
This book is written to help you understand the origin and usage of each character. Now you can recall instead of memorize. To remember means to strengthen the synapses which connect your brain cells. Synapses can be strengthened by stimulating the five senses?smell, hearing, taste, vision and touch. When multiple senses are used together, the memory lasts longer. Better results can be achieved when such stimuli is coupled by unforced repetition. One good way of strengthening the synapses is to repeat the same stimulation. This book expands on the basic character by adding parts that give new meaning in a radical form. This means you are exposed to the same basic character multiple times.

Learning that can be used immediately
By learning how these Chinese characters came to be, you can also learn how adding a certain component changes the meaning. For example, the character "色 [s?]" meaning ‘color’ depicts a person (?) on top of another person (巴) in the act of sexual intercourse, which causes one to flush in excitement. Once you know that origin, you will be able to understand ?why "色 [s?]" also means ‘lust.’

Dr. JIANG, Yong (蔣勇) Professor of Chinese Language and Literature, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. "The authors of this book have conducted extensive research on Chinese lexicology, etymology, phonology and grammar, and now share their expertise with Chinese language learners. Learning Chinese characters takes more time and effort for those whose native language uses alphabetic writing systems. The authors solved this problem by reinterpreting some of Chinese characters in their own imaginative ways. This extends readers’ horizons and helps them to make sense of the structures of Chinese characters through the use of interesting stories and fascinating cartoons. The characters in this book are organized around topics such as people, life, nature, etc. for the sake of easy recollection. The book helps learners to build their Chinese character and vocabulary base by grouping relevant characters and their associated words and phrases in a family in a systematic way. This book is an indispensable aid for people who want to master basic and commonly used Chinese characters and vocabulary within a short time. It is also a very useful reference book for Chinese language teachers." Su Hyon Pak, Language Instructor "Playful cartoons and amusing storytelling may deceive serious students at first glance, but this comprehensive collection of 800 of the most frequently used Chinese characters will allow the reader to move past pinyin and learn to fully understand and appreciate the ancient language still in use today. Make use of this new and exciting way to undertake the seemingly impossible task of memorizing Chinese characters! Characters are broken down by fun explanations, quick references, examples, and color coded notes that piece together puzzle-like parts to create a whole picture of understanding.. Several learning tools such as dissection of pictograms, stroke order, and vocabulary lists are included, to name just a few. Ideal for foreign students beginning to learn basic characters as well as for students preparing to take the HSK or Chinese Proficiency Test, this text will assist readers to further understand the meaning of all Chinese characters!"