Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Chinese writing
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
Oracle bone inscriptions from the village of Hsiao-t'un, Shang dynasty, 14th or 12th century bc Example of dazhuan from a bronze vessel, 779 bc, Zhou dynasty; in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan. Ink rubbing of a lishu inscription on the stele of Shichen, ad 169, Han dynasty; in the collection of Wan-go H.C. Weng, New York City. Shang dynasty: oracle bone Zhenshu calligraphy
For Students
Chinese writing system summary
Quizzes
Playwright Arthur Miller works on a new play at his typewriter in the study of his New York apartment on July 21, 1959.
How We Write Quiz
Read Next
Chinese pictograph, calligraphy tablet of Huang Tingjian, a famous calligrapher in Ancient Song Dynasty. The background of Chinese cultural elements.
The World’s 5 Most Commonly Used Writing Systems
Discover
Figure 13: A Maxim machine gun, belt-fed and water-cooled, operated by German infantrymen, World War I.
7 Deadliest Weapons in History
Poker game. Card game. Royal Flush in poker. Hearts suit gambling
Poker Hands Ranked
Periodical Cicada, Adult, Magicicada spp. Requires 17 years to complete development. Nymph splits its skin, and transforms into an adult. Feeds on sap of tree roots. Northern Illinois Brood. This brood is the largest emergence of cicadas anywhere
Why Do Some Cicadas Appear Only Every 17 Years?
Berries and leaves of the bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) plant. Poisonous plant
7 of the World’s Deadliest Plants
Ethel Rosenberg arrested in August 1950. Photograph dated Aug. 8, 1950. American civilians executed for espionage. Spies, communists, Julius Rosenberg
Spies Like Us: 10 Famous Names in the Espionage Game
Dancers at a Cinco de Mayo festival at the Mission District, San Francisco, California. (Photo dated 2019.) holidays
Is Cinco de Mayo Mexico's Independence Day?
Close up of books. Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”

Chinese writing: Related Content

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/facts/Chinese-writing
Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Photos

Oracle bone inscriptions from the village of Hsiao-t'un, Shang dynasty, 14th or 12th century bc
Example of dazhuan from a bronze vessel, 779 bc, Zhou dynasty; in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.
Ink rubbing of a lishu inscription on the stele of Shichen, ad 169, Han dynasty; in the collection of Wan-go H.C. Weng, New York City.
Shang dynasty: oracle bone
Zhenshu calligraphy
See All Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics
Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Related Quizzes and Features

Quiz
Playwright Arthur Miller works on a new play at his typewriter in the study of his New York apartment on July 21, 1959.
How We Write Quiz
List
Chinese pictograph, calligraphy tablet of Huang Tingjian, a famous calligrapher in Ancient Song Dynasty. The background of Chinese cultural elements.
The World’s 5 Most Commonly Used Writing Systems