<p>Wikipedia's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characters" rel="noreferrer">Simplified Chinese page</a> has a section that outlines all the types already. Quoting it a bit:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>There are four methods used:</p>
<p><strong>Structural simplification of characters</strong></p>
<p>Under this method, there are the following:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Replacing a character with another existing character that sounds the same or similar (e.g. 乾、幹 → 干)</p>
</li>
<li><p>Using printed forms of cursive shapes (e.g. 長 → 长)</p>
</li>
<li><p>Replacing a component of a character with a simple symbol (e.g. 對 → 对)</p>
</li>
<li><p>Omitting entire components (e.g. 習 → 习)</p>
</li>
<li><p>Further morphing a character after omitting some components (e.g. 歸 → 归)</p>
</li>
<li><p>Preserving the basic outline or shape of the original character (e.g. 飛 → 飞)</p>
</li>
<li><p>Replacing the phonetic component of phono-semantic compound characters (e.g. 鐘 → 钟)</p>
</li>
<li><p>Replacing some arbitrary part of a character with a phonetic component, turning it into a new phono-semantic compound character (e.g. 曆 → 历)</p>
</li>
<li><p>Replacing entire character with a newly coined phono-semantic compound character (e.g. 驚 → 惊)</p>
</li>
<li><p>Adopting obscure ancient forms or variants (e.g. 電 → 电)</p>
</li>
<li><p>Adopting ancient vulgar variants (e.g. 陽 → 阳)</p>
</li>
<li><p>Re-adopt abandoned phonetic-loan characters (e.g. 後 → 后)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Derivation based on simplified character components</strong></p>
<p>This is where components that have been simplified are also simplified when they are used as radicals; e.g. 單 → 单 so therefore 彈 → 弹</p>
<p><strong>Elimination of variants of the same character</strong></p>
<p>E.g. 夠 → 够, 豬 → 猪. Note that the goal here is to reduce the total number of characters, which means that sometimes the simplified version has more strokes, e.g. 搾 → 榨</p>
<p><strong>Adoption of new standardized character forms</strong></p>
<p>E.g. 奧 → 奥, 虛 → 虚. These are structurally the same after simplification.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>For more information see <a href="https://zh.wikisource.org/zh/%E7%AE%80%E5%8C%96%E5%AD%97%E6%80%BB%E8%A1%A8" rel="noreferrer">https://zh.wikisource.org/zh/%E7%AE%80%E5%8C%96%E5%AD%97%E6%80%BB%E8%A1%A8</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-07T03:03:41.693Z
2014-10-07T03:03:41.693Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
congusbongus
<p>Most Chinese characters have two parts, a radical and a phonetic. So different ways to simplify them might include the following:</p>

<p>1) Simplify the radical, retain the phonetic. Example: 调</p>

<p>2) Simplify the phonetic, retain the radical. Example: 这</p>

<p>3) Simplify one or the other of the above, for a character that has only one, but not the other. Example: 车</p>

<p>4) Substitute a single "character" for both parts. Example: 后</p>

<p>Is this roster complete? One way that I haven't seen is that <em>both</em> the radical and phonetic are simplified. Is this true, and if so, why might that be?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-06T18:30:38.997Z
這, 車 and 後 are **not** [phono-semantic compound characters](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_character_classification). Yes, most Chinese characters are phono-semantic compound, but your examples really make me confused. Anyway, the simplification is quite complex, hmm ...
Stan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-07T00:01:24.280Z
An example of both parts being simplified: 觀 -> 观
congusbongus
<writing>
What are ways to create "simplifed" Chinese characters?
# What are ways to create "simplifed" Chinese characters?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-10-06)

Most Chinese characters have two parts, a radical and a phonetic. So different ways to simplify them might include the following:

1) Simplify the radical, retain the phonetic. Example: 调

2) Simplify the phonetic, retain the radical. Example: 这

3) Simplify one or the other of the above, for a character that has only one, but not the other. Example: 车

4) Substitute a single "character" for both parts. Example: 后

Is this roster complete? One way that I haven't seen is that *both* the radical and phonetic are simplified. Is this true, and if so, why might that be?

**Tags:** writing

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 這, 車 and 後 are **not** [phono-semantic compound characters](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_character_classification). Yes, most Chinese characters are phono-semantic compound, but your examples really make me confused. Anyway, the simplification is quite complex, hmm ...  
> **username_2**: An example of both parts being simplified: 觀 -> 观  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-10-07. Score: 5

Wikipedia's [Simplified Chinese page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characters) has a section that outlines all the types already. Quoting it a bit:

> There are four methods used:
>
> **Structural simplification of characters**
>
> Under this method, there are the following:
>
> * Replacing a character with another existing character that sounds the same or similar (e.g. 乾、幹 → 干)
> * Using printed forms of cursive shapes (e.g. 長 → 长)
> * Replacing a component of a character with a simple symbol (e.g. 對 → 对)
> * Omitting entire components (e.g. 習 → 习)
> * Further morphing a character after omitting some components (e.g. 歸 → 归)
> * Preserving the basic outline or shape of the original character (e.g. 飛 → 飞)
> * Replacing the phonetic component of phono-semantic compound characters (e.g. 鐘 → 钟)
> * Replacing some arbitrary part of a character with a phonetic component, turning it into a new phono-semantic compound character (e.g. 曆 → 历)
> * Replacing entire character with a newly coined phono-semantic compound character (e.g. 驚 → 惊)
> * Adopting obscure ancient forms or variants (e.g. 電 → 电)
> * Adopting ancient vulgar variants (e.g. 陽 → 阳)
> * Re-adopt abandoned phonetic-loan characters (e.g. 後 → 后)
>
> **Derivation based on simplified character components**
>
> This is where components that have been simplified are also simplified when they are used as radicals; e.g. 單 → 单 so therefore 彈 → 弹
>
> **Elimination of variants of the same character**
>
> E.g. 夠 → 够, 豬 → 猪. Note that the goal here is to reduce the total number of characters, which means that sometimes the simplified version has more strokes, e.g. 搾 → 榨
>
> **Adoption of new standardized character forms**
>
> E.g. 奧 → 奥, 虛 → 虚. These are structurally the same after simplification.

For more information see <https://zh.wikisource.org/zh/%E7%AE%80%E5%8C%96%E5%AD%97%E6%80%BB%E8%A1%A8>


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