JESCRIBING CHARACTERS --WITHOUT A PEN AND PAPERI— ‘Speakers of the Chinese language sometimes find they need to explain what word they are saying, but they do not have a place to write it down. This is similar to English speakers: when we say a homonym, such as except vs accept, assistants vs assistance, ensure vs insure, eto, Here are some strategies Chinese people use to describe characters without pen and paper 1. Explaining what radicals each character contains. a. Example: My name has a pretty uncommon character in it: 4. Sometimes I explain this character by saying, “Ze A, Ai PA4+1.” “It has a person radical on the left side, and the right side has two earth radicals.” I would often say it while drawing it in the airto reinforce the image. 2. Explaining which character itis by giving examples of other words that use the same character. a. Example: If you want to explain the character “Ff!” you might give the example, “4! [it +b” which literally means, “China’ s Zhong” (the zhong that is in the word for China.) 3, Writing the character out on their palm with theit finger. 4, Describing the actual individual strokes and their Chinese names. (We'll talk about this another day!) Today, we are going to practice the first strategy. This strategy works well for characters that are completely composed of clear radicals. Some direction words to help you do this: deen Jey Fa Ba A PA shangbian shangmian xiamian youbian zudbian zhongjian top top bottom right ~—left_—~—s middle Here is the pattern: [side] a (fl + [name of radical] “On this side,” “there isa” “name of radical” Practice the pattern by describing these words using the radicals you have already leamed: Leeks 2.4 3, fa) Gian? room ) 4. fai (xin4 a letter): Radical Number Stroke Count Pinyin English [Radics English Ess Stroke Variant oe Count | iE one ae I Tine [sha [1 5 dot {dian [1 )___| slash pié |! Cea Z [second [yt ‘i (ete in hook ai gou 1 = two. e [2 eas =5 lid z tou = |2 9 at A _| person rén. 2 4 10 JU. legs er iz iL » enter ru 2 12, | A\__|eight ‘ba 2 v 3} 1] __| down box jidng |2 14 Ea cover mi 2 | i oe ice bing |2 [ ieee || item | table: i 2 l - aN open box Ee 2 aa 18 WI knife dao [2 [av 19 ih power li 2 oom wrap _ bio [2 21 b ladle bi 2) 22 ls right open box _| fang |2 23 es hiding enclosure | xi 2 24 a ten shi a 25 bh divination Ee 26 i seal (jie [2 27 aaa cliff han [2 - |28 4 private ‘si BI 29 Bye | again you [2 30 5 mouth _ kou [3 31 iL] | enclosure wéi [3 ig?) el earth tt 3 i 53 a scholar shi 3 34 & go sui 3 35 Ea | go slowly Zin|3) 36 4 night xi 3 37s big da [3 38 x | woman nu 3 a ‘mer child ai Bi 40 ties roof ai 3 41 lt inch 3 42 ay small 3 43 i lame 3 i 44 a corpse 3 45 4 sprout 3 46 la mountain — 3 47 Jil tiver 3 WK 48 ats work [3 49 = oneself Si arent towel = ale - S10” (olds © 3 Be |& thread 3 53 Pe shelter 3 54 a _| stride 3 i 5S ot hands joined 3 56 EG shoot with a bow | yi 3 57 a bow gong |33 snout ji ie AL B hair shan [3 4 step chi 3 aby heart xin |4 RS | spear ge 4 = door ho 4 = hand shou |4 ¥ | branch zhi 4 x (rap pia Xi se script wen |4 ah dipper dou |4 Fin axe jin |4 ft bal square fang (4 aa not wt 4 Ell sun di 4 A say yue |4 B moon yue |4 a EN tree ma [4 K Tack qian [4 fiz | stop zhi [4 re FB __| death dai 4 & | weapon shi | 4 : H mother mii 4 1 4 compare Bia a 82 | fur |méo |4 83 (& |clan [shi [4 84 «|__| steam qi |4 85 7K water shui |4 Vy 86 LK fire hud |4 ix 87 [ym _[elaw zhao [4 os88 father fa [4 89 x lines on atrigram | yao | 4 90 Bi halfofatree —/qidng |4 trunk 91 Kr slice pian |4 92 OL fang ya [4 93 ap cow nig [4 ¥ 94 z dog quin |3 RK 95 K profound xudn | 5 96 ZB jade yu 5 97 J. melon gua |5 8 OI tile wi [5 99 Ht | sweet gan |5 100 | 4 life : shéng |5 101 AQ use yong {5 102 | field tiin [5 103 KE cloth ies 104 [3 ill ‘bing [5 105 «| * foot steps is | 106. | __ white bai [5 107 | (skin eee 108 {im | dish [min [5 109 B jeye mi Dy 110 *# | spear méo |5 111 Re | arrow | shi bi 112 A stone | shi 5 13 [aR spirit shi [5 14 | track rou [4 Sioeeies grain hé (5 16 |x [cave xus [5nae |e stand ii in 1s |% bamboo zhi [6 [119 [3K rice mi «(6 me silk a (3 OU ea jar fou [6 225 cl net wang [6 oe 13 |# sheep yang |6 SPE feather yi (6 150) [e old io [6 [126 | itr and é&r 6 a eS plow Bi 16 128 Ez ear ér 6 129 | # brush yu (6 130 A meat rou 6 Bhs minister chén |6 132 «(|B oneself a (6 133. [% __|arrive zhi_|6 134 A mortar jit 6 Sines tongue shé |6 136 | bE contrary chuan | 6 137 [3% boat zhou |6 138, RR mountain gén 6 139 fay color sé 6 140 ae grass cio {3 41 [Fe tiger hi [6 142 Hy insect chong | 6 143 [iit | blood xué [6 144 SR walk xing |6 M45 [zk clothes yi__(|6 x 146 |e west ai 6 a147 J see jian | 4 148 «| fH horn jito |7 (i 149s mal speech yan [2 | 150 Re valley gil ue \ 151 [@% _| bean [dou |7 152, | [pig shi |7 153 gs badger zhi } 154 shell bai 4 155: |ae s}red chi [7 is ibs walk [zu {7 | eS foot Zi) wee i 158 a ‘body shén |7 159 | cart che [4 160 [== bitter xin [7 es 161, iz morning chén |7 | 162 (3 walk chud [3 | | 16 |B city Simin 164 ra) wine you 7 165. | distinguish bian |7 166. | village i 7 ia 167 metal jm [5 168 long chang | 4 aarcomal in gate mén [3 zi 170 | # mound fi (8 171 [3 [slave hi 8 172 |e short-tailed bird |zhui_ [8 (103 elas, rain yo [8 14 | blue ging (8 175‘ 4E wrong fai |8 176 |i _| face mian [9 eT17 |e leather < ¢ [178 [58 soft leather wei 4 179 (aE leek jit (/9 180 a sound [pa [9 sae al on page _[ye 6 182 | wind feng (4 [meses ink vane fai [4 184 eat shi _|3 a & nese head shou [9 ‘186 fragrant xiang [9 187_—(| 3 horse mi [3 188 |#% | bone ai [9 189 | high gao |10 190 | long hair bio [10 19t | F__/ fight ‘dou | 10 192 eo sacrificial wine | chang | 10 193 | cauldron ti 10 194 | ghost gui |9 195 [fe [fish yi (8 | 196 | & bird niio [5 a 197 [et salty fee 198 |e deer ie i> NES wheat mai [7 200 | R hemp ma [11 201.) | yellow huang | 11 202 | millet st [203 |e [black — hei [12 204K embroidery jzhi | 12 [205 | [frog min |8 206 [sh _| tripod ding [12207) ole drum gi 3 208 fit, rat shu 13 209 A nose bi 14 210 F even qi 6 211 wh tooth chi 8 21D) K dragon léng |5 213 cn turtle gui 7 214 rg flute yuée 17