Chinese
Characters
After
learning about strokes and radicals do we get to the third
level, Chinese characters. One or more radicals combine
to become Chinese characters. Some Chinese characters can
be radicals and vice versa. Radicals function within the
character by adding a sound to the character or meaning.
This gives you clues on either what it means or how it is
pronounced. Sound confusing? After a while, you get to understand
how they work.
Within
a Chinese character, radicals can be side by side, pile
on top of each other, sit next to a pile, two piles can
sit next to each other. For example:
Sun
+ Moon 
= Bright 
The
added light from both the sun and the moon is certainly
bright. Therefore, put together in a character makes it
bright.
Sun
and moon are radicals,
side by side they make a character.
Here
is another example:
Strength
+ Field 
= Man 
The
strength that holds up, or sustains, the field is a man.
In this case, one character is piled on the other, instead
of side-by-side.
Next,
I will give you an example of how a radical can tell you
how to pronounce a character.
By
itself, this radical for woman, 
,
is pronounced nu (noo). Added to the radical for the right
hand, 
it makes the character 
,
for slave. The radical for woman in the character tells
you that is pronounced nu, even though they are together
as a character. Incidently, the two radicals together also
have meaning, the woman under the hand of a master makes
a slave.
Stay
tuned for my next section, when I combine two characters
to make words.
Watch
this little graphic, which changes every few minutes, telling
you the meaning of a new character.
