# Mwandiko wa Kichina

Mwandiko wa Kichina
**Mwandiko wa Kichina** ni jumla ya alama zinazotumiwa kuandika lugha za Kichina. Mwandiko huo hutumia alama moja kwa neno lote kwa hiyo kila mtu anaelewa mwandiko hata akisoma na kutamka tofauti katika lahaja mbalimbali.

## Mwandiko wa alama

Kichina huandikwa kwa alama zinazomaanisha neno moja. Alama hizo hazimaanishi herufi fulani wala silabi jinsi ilivyo katika miandiko mingine. Kwa hiyo watu wawili wanaweza kusoma alama hizohizo na kutamka tofauti wakitumia lahaja tofauti au hata aina za Kichina tofauti; hata wasipoelewana wakati wa kuongea, wote wanaelewa maana ya alama hata wakitamka maneno tofauti.

Maneno mengi ya Kichina yana silabi moja tu. Kamusi kubwa ya lugha ina alama zaidi ya 40,000- Wachina wasomi wenye elimu nzuri hujua takriban alama 6,000 hadi 7,000. Gazeti la kawaida hutumia alama 3,000. Serikali inasema mtu ajua kuandika na kusoma kama ameshika angalau alama 2,000.

Tangu mapinduzi ya China ya 1949 serikali imeeneza alama zilizorahisishwa. Kuna pia mipango ya kulatinisha lugha yaani kuendeleza namna ya kuandika lugha kwa alfabeti ya Kilatini.

Mwandiko wa Kichina ulikuwa pia msingi wa mwandiko wa Korea na Japani.

## Kutoka picha kuwa alama

Chanzo cha alama kwenye mwandiko wa Kichina ni picha. Vyanzo hivyo vinafanana na mitindo iliyotumiwa kwingineko duniani kama Babeli. Lakini ilhali katika mifumo mingine picha zilirahisishwa na kutumiwa kwa silabi au sauti tu na kuwa herufi, China ilibaki na picha moja kwa neno moja ilhali picha zilirahisishwa na kuwa alama kwa urahisi wa kuandika haraka.

Tangu maungano ya kwanza ya China serikali kuu iliratibu usanifishaji wa alama. Alama jinsi zilivyosanifishwa miaka 1800 hutumiwa hadi leo hii.

Mabadiliko ya alama kwa "farasi" katika mwandiko wa Kichina tangu kale hadi leo| Mnamo mwaka 1500 KK - 1200 KK: picha ya farasi | Mnamo mwaka 1200-700 KK: picha ya farasi iliyorahisishwa | Mnamo mwaka 300 KK: picha iliyorahisishwa zaidi | Kuanzia mwaka 200 KK: alama rasmi ya maandishi | Tangu mwaka 200 BK: alama sanifu (za zamani ) | Tangu 1950: alama sanifu zilizorahisishwa |
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## Alama zilizorahisishwa

Katika karne ya 20 kulikuwa na majadiliano nchini China kurahisisha namna ya kuandika maana Wachina wengi hawakuweza kuandika na kusoma au walijua alama chache tu. Wengine walipendekeza kuachana kabisa na alama za kidesturi na badala yake kuhamia alfabeti ya Kilatini. Wengine waliona itasaidia kupunguza idadi ya mistari na nukta katika alama zinazohitajika mara kwa mara.

Baada ya mapinduzi ya 1949 serikali ya Kikomunisti ilitangaza orodha ya alama zilizorahisishwa. Hizo zinafundishwa shuleni lakini zinatumiwa pamoja na alama za zamani ambazo ni tata zaidi, hasa kwa ajili ya istilahi ambazo hazitumiwi mara kwa mara.

Nchini Japani alama nyingi za Kichina zinatumiwa pamoja na alama za ziada kwa kuandika Kijapani. Pia Japani serikali ilifanya mabadiliko katika mwonekano wa alama kwa shabaha za kuzirahisisha ili zishikwe haraka zaidi na wanafunzi.

Hapo chini mifano kadhaa ya alama zinazotumiwa upande wa Kichina na Kijapani, pamoja na mabadiliko yao kwa lengo la kuzirahisisha:

Ulinganishi wa Alama Sanifu (za Zamani), Alama Sanifu Zilizorahisihwa na Alama sanifu za Kijapani za Kisasa| Kichina | Kijapani | Maana yake |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Alama Sanifu za Kichina (za zamani) | Alama za Kichina zilizorahisishwa |
| Alama zilizorahisishwa China Bara tu, lakini siyo Japani |
| 電 | 电 | 電 | umeme |
| 買 | 买 | 買 | kununua |
| 車 | 车 | 車 | gari |
| 紅 | 红 | 紅 | nyekundu |
| 無 | 无 | 無 | hamna, hakuna kitu |
| 東 | 东 | 東 | mashariki |
| 馬 | 马 | 馬 | farasi |
| 風 | 风 | 風 | upepo |
| 愛 | 爱 | 愛 | upendo |
| 時 | 时 | 時 | wakati |
| 鳥 | 鸟 | 鳥 | ndege |
| 島 | 岛 | 島 | kisiwa |
| 語 | 语 | 語 | lugha, neno |
| 頭 | 头 | 頭 | kichwa |
| 魚 | 鱼 | 魚 | samaki |
| 園 | 园 | 園 | bustani |
| 長 | 长 | 長 | ndefu, kukua |
| 紙 | 纸 | 紙 | karatasi |
| 書 | 书 | 書 | kitabu, hati |
| 見 | 见 | 見 | angalia, tazama |
| Alama zilizorahisishwa katika Japani lakini si China Bara |
| 假 | 假 | 仮 | bandia, kukopa |
| 佛 | 佛 | 仏 | Buddha |
| 德 | 德 | 徳 | maadili |
| 拜 | 拜 | 拝 | kusali, kuabudu |
| 黑 | 黑 | 黒 | nyeusi |
| 冰 | 冰 | 氷 | barafu |
| 兔 | 兔 | 兎 | sungura |
| 每 | 每 | 毎 | kila |
| 壤 | 壤 | 壌 | udongo |
| 步 | 步 | 歩 | hatua |
| 惠 | 惠 | 恵 | neema |
| Alama zilizorahisishwa tofauti katika China na Japani |
| 圓 | 圆 | 円 | duara |
| 聽 | 听 | 聴 | sikia |
| 實 | 实 | 実 | halisi |
| 證 | 证 | 証 | uthibitisho |
| 賣 | 卖 | 売 | kuuza |
| 龜 | 龟 | 亀 | kobe |
| 藝 | 艺 | 芸 | sanaa |
| 戰 | 战 | 戦 | vita, kupigana |
| 繪 | 绘 | 絵 | taswira, picha |
| 鐵 | 铁 | 鉄 | chuma |
| 團 | 团 | 団 | kundi, kikosi |
| 轉 | 转 | 転 | Kugeuka |
| 惡 | 恶 | 悪 | ubaya, chuki |
| 豐 | 丰 | 豊 | tele, kwa wingi |
| 腦 | 脑 | 脳 | ubongo |
| 壓 | 压 | 圧 | shinikizo |
| 雞/鷄 | 鸡 | 鶏 | kuku |
| 價 | 价 | 価 | bei |
| 樂 | 乐 | 楽 | muziki |
| 氣 | 气 | 気 | hewa |
| 廳 | 厅 | 庁 | ukumbi, ofisi |
| 勞 | 劳 | 労 | kazi |
| 劍 | 剑 | 剣 | upanga |
| 歲 | 岁 | 歳 | umri, miaka |
| 燒 | 烧 | 焼 | kuwaka |
| 贊 | 赞 | 賛 | kusifu |
| 兩 | 两 | 両 | mbili |
| 譯 | 译 | 訳 | tafsiri |
| 觀 | 观 | 観 | kuangalia, kutazama |
| 齒 | 齿 | 歯 | meno |
| 藥 | 药 | 薬 | dawa |
| 讀 | 读 | 読 | kusoma |
| 顏 | 颜 | 顔 | uso |
| Alama zilizorahisishwa karibu sawa China bara na Japani |
| 畫 | 画 | 画 | picha |
| 聲 | 声 | 声 | sauti |
| 學 | 学 | 学 | kujifunza |
| 體 | 体 | 体 | mwili |
| 點 | 点 | 点 | nukta |
| 麥 | 麦 | 麦 | ngano |
| 蟲 | 虫 | 虫 | mdudu |
| 舊 | 旧 | 旧 | kizee, kilichopita |
| 會 | 会 | 会 | kuweza, kukutana |
| 萬 | 万 | 万 | elfu kumi |
| 盜 | 盗 | 盗 | mwizi, kuiba |
| 寶 | 宝 | 宝 | hazina |
| 國 | 国 | 国 | nchi |
| 醫 | 医 | 医 | dawa |
| 雙 | 双 | 双 | jozi |
| 晝 | 昼 | 昼 | mchana, siku |
| 來 | 来 | 来 | kuja |
| 黃 | 黄 | 黄 | njano |
| 區 | 区 | 区 | kata, eneo |

## Kujisomea

* Galambos, Imre (2006). *Orthography of early Chinese writing: evidence from newly excavated manuscripts* (PDF). Budapest: Eötvös Loránd University. ISBN 978-963-463-811-7.

Early works of historical interest
* Samuel Wells Williams (1842). *Easy lessons in Chinese: or progressive exercises to facilitate the study of that language*. Printed at the Office of the Chinese Repository.
* Herbert Allen Giles (1892). *A Chinese-English dictionary, Volume 1*. B. Quaritch. uk. 1415.
* P. Poletti (1896). *A Chinese and English dictionary, arranged according to radicals and sub-radicals*. Printed at the American Presbyterian mission press.
* William Edward Soothill (1900). *The student's four thousand [characters] and general pocket dictionary* (tol. la 2). American Presbyterian Mission Press.
* John Chalmers (1882). *An account of the structure of Chinese characters under 300 primary forms: after the Shwoh-wan, 100 A.D., and the phonetic Shwoh-wan, 1833*. Trübner & co.
* *Chinese and English dictionary: compiled from reliable authors*. American Tract Society. 1893.
* Joseph Edkins (1876). *Introduction to the study of the Chinese characters*. Trübner & co. uk. 314.
* Walter Henry Medhurst (1842). *Chinese and English dictionary: containing all the words in the Chinese imperial dictionary; arranged according to the radicals. 2 volumes*. Parapattan: Walter Henry Medhurst.
* Tai Tung (Dai Tong 戴侗) (1954). *The Six Scripts Or the Principles of Chinese Writing*. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-60515-2. Translated by L.C. Hopkins with a Memoir of the Translator by W. Perceval Yetts

## Viungo vya nje

Historia na muundo wa alama za Kichina
* Excerpt from Visible Speech: The Diverse Oneness of Writing Systems by John DeFrancis, © 1989 by the University of Hawai`i Press. Used by permission of the University of Hawai`i Press.

Online dictionaries and character reference
* Chinese Text Project Dictionary Comprehensive character dictionary including data for all Chinese characters in Unicode, and exemplary usage from early Chinese texts.
* Evolution of Chinese Characters
* Richard Sears, Chinese Etymology.
* Da, Jun, Chinese text computing Ilihifadhiwa 15 Mei 2021 kwenye Wayback Machine. – statistics on use of Chinese characters

Matumizi ya alama za Kichina kwa kompyuta
* Unihan Database: Chinese, Japanese, and Korean references, readings, and meanings for all the Chinese and Chinese-derived characters in the Unicode character set
* Daoulagad Han – Mobile OCR hanzi dictionary, OCR interface to the UniHan database