<p>According to <a href="https://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/php/code_list.php" rel="nofollow noreferrer">iso639-2</a>, the Chinese language is chi (B) or zho (T), where "B" for (bibliographic) and "T" for (terminology).</p>

<p>However, don't ask me about the difference, I really don't know.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-11T20:12:45.427Z
2018-03-11T20:12:45.427Z
smallerxie
<p>chi and zho stands for the Chinese language, but not one of its <strong>writing forms</strong>.</p>
<p>Specific codes for traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese widely in use being zh-Hant and zh-Hans respectively, specified by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IETF_language_tag" rel="nofollow noreferrer" title="IETF language tag">IETF</a> and also <a href="https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5646" rel="nofollow noreferrer" title="RFC 5646">RFC 5646</a>.</p>
<p>The use of improvised codes &quot;tc&quot; and &quot;sc&quot;, which abbreviate &quot;Traditional Chinese&quot; and &quot;Simplified Chinese&quot;, are often observed too in Chinese websites.</p>
<p>So, just as @TactMayers said in the comment, I also think that the designer chose them deliberately, or simply due to misunderstanding.</p>
<p><em>By the way, here may not be a right place for this question; <a href="http://www.stackoverflow.com/" title="Stack Overflow">Stack Overflow</a> is more suitable.</em></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-10T18:15:10.663Z
2014-03-10T18:32:15.410Z
2021-10-07T06:47:20.403Z
Ron Lau
<p>On a database file, the designer uses <strong>chi</strong> and <strong>zho</strong> to tell simplified Chinese and traditional Chinese. It's hard to tell whether <strong>chi</strong> means the simplified one or traditional.</p>

<p>Seemingly, <strong>chi</strong> is derived from the first three characters of "Chinese", <strong>zho</strong> from the first three of "Zhōngwén".</p>

<p>The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_language" rel="noreferrer">wiki page of Chinese language</a>, as well as the following two links from ISO 639 documentation, <a href="http://www-01.sil.org/iso639-3/documentation.asp?id=chi" rel="noreferrer">chi</a> and <a href="http://www-01.sil.org/iso639-3/documentation.asp?id=zho" rel="noreferrer">zho</a>, all tell us that <strong>chi</strong> is ISO 639-2/B, where the <strong>B</strong> stands for bibliographic, <strong>zho</strong> being ISO 639-2/T, <strong>T</strong> for terminological. The explanation of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_639-2#B_and_T_codes" rel="noreferrer">the B and T codes</a> does not shed any light on traditional-or-simplified information the either.</p>

<p>But there is nowhere that I can refer to showing which one representing the traditional Chinese.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-10T09:16:54.237Z
It seems that the designer chose the two labels deliberately, which as you've already pointed out that there's no way to tell which is TC or SC. I think the only way to figure out is to dump the database and examine some of the text data.
TactMayers
<traditional-characters>
Which one of these two ISO 639-2 code refers to Traditional Chinese, chi or zho?
# Which one of these two ISO 639-2 code refers to Traditional Chinese, chi or zho?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-03-10)

On a database file, the designer uses **chi** and **zho** to tell simplified Chinese and traditional Chinese. It's hard to tell whether **chi** means the simplified one or traditional.

Seemingly, **chi** is derived from the first three characters of "Chinese", **zho** from the first three of "Zhōngwén".

The [wiki page of Chinese language](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_language), as well as the following two links from ISO 639 documentation, [chi](http://www-01.sil.org/iso639-3/documentation.asp?id=chi) and [zho](http://www-01.sil.org/iso639-3/documentation.asp?id=zho), all tell us that **chi** is ISO 639-2/B, where the **B** stands for bibliographic, **zho** being ISO 639-2/T, **T** for terminological. The explanation of [the B and T codes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_639-2#B_and_T_codes) does not shed any light on traditional-or-simplified information the either.

But there is nowhere that I can refer to showing which one representing the traditional Chinese.

**Tags:** traditional-characters

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It seems that the designer chose the two labels deliberately, which as you've already pointed out that there's no way to tell which is TC or SC. I think the only way to figure out is to dump the database and examine some of the text data.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-03-10. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

chi and zho stands for the Chinese language, but not one of its **writing forms**.

Specific codes for traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese widely in use being zh-Hant and zh-Hans respectively, specified by [IETF](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IETF_language_tag "IETF language tag") and also [RFC 5646](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5646 "RFC 5646").

The use of improvised codes "tc" and "sc", which abbreviate "Traditional Chinese" and "Simplified Chinese", are often observed too in Chinese websites.

So, just as @username_1 said in the comment, I also think that the designer chose them deliberately, or simply due to misunderstanding.

*By the way, here may not be a right place for this question; [Stack Overflow](http://www.stackoverflow.com/ "Stack Overflow") is more suitable.*


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### Answer by username_2 on 2018-03-11. Score: 0

According to [iso639-2](https://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/php/code_list.php), the Chinese language is chi (B) or zho (T), where "B" for (bibliographic) and "T" for (terminology).

However, don't ask me about the difference, I really don't know.


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