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Chinese characters are often combined to create larger, more complex characters.
This means that learning 2,000 characters in order to be 'literate' doesn't mean learning 2,000 unrelated forms. Instead, you will learn a smaller number of basic, independent forms, then learn to read and write combinations of them thereafter. For those with no experience reading or writing Chinese, characters can seem a little intimidating. By the end of this page, you should have a more than basic understanding of how Chinese characters are put together. A good first step in making Chinese characters less intimidating is identifying their most basic parts.