<p>explanation in modern day research:</p>

<p>we use components (部件), to "build up" chinese characters; and there're 1316.</p>

<p><a href="http://chardb.iis.sinica.edu.tw/system_intro.jsp" rel="noreferrer">http://chardb.iis.sinica.edu.tw/system_intro.jsp</a></p>

<p>basically, we have 8 types of stroke (筆畫) to compose each component.</p>

<p>about the "structural relations and configuration regularity" of components, have a look of this page; in english and traditional chinese:</p>

<p><a href="http://other.allad.com.tw/chinese2/teacher_e.php" rel="noreferrer">http://other.allad.com.tw/chinese2/teacher_e.php</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-31T14:22:19.563Z
Any links to all the 1316 部件? Thanks
Enrico Brasil
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-31T14:30:23.460Z
you may have a look of 漢語多功能字庫, for Oracle Bone Script Components: http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/oraclePiece.php
for Bronze Script Components: http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/bronzePiece.php
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-31T14:48:00.287Z
Unfortunately the number is far from the 1316. ='(    Any other source?
Enrico Brasil
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-31T20:09:29.887Z
btw, the number is depends on who did the research (simplified, or traditional chinese, ). have a read of this pdf file:

http://cdp.sinica.edu.tw/service/documents/T090904.pdf
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-25T22:57:42.500Z
2016-05-26T00:52:34.360Z
2016-05-26T00:52:34.360Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>仅仅从字形上划分有下面几类：The Chinese symbols can be built up from elementary lines or forms by following three types:</p>
<p>笔画：https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroke_(CJK_character)</p>
<p>偏旁：https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/%E5%81%8F%E6%97%81</p>
<p>部首：https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_(Chinese_characters)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-22T12:37:05.077Z
2022-07-22T12:37:05.077Z
bronze man
<p>A Chinese character is built-up by radical(部首) and character parts(偏旁). Here is a list of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_Indexing_Chinese_Character_Components" rel="nofollow noreferrer">radicals</a>, and here is a list with <a href="https://mszhaoschineseclass.weebly.com/uploads/9/7/9/6/9796141/names_of_radicals_and_character_parts.pdf?c=mkt_w_chnl:aff_geo:all_prtnr:sas_subprtnr:1538097_camp:brand_adtype:txtlnk_ag:weebly_lptype:hp_var:358504&amp;sscid=71k6_mqmcm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">examples</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-23T03:13:33.203Z
2022-07-23T03:13:33.203Z
r13
<p>I know nothing about the Chinese language but, while we ate in a Chinese restaurant with lots of Chinese symbols around me, I asked myself if these symbols could be built up from elementary lines or forms (like our words are made up out of 26 letters). Is that the case? </p>

<characters>
Are Chinese symbols built from more elementary symbols or forms?
# Are Chinese symbols built from more elementary symbols or forms?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-05-25)

I know nothing about the Chinese language but, while we ate in a Chinese restaurant with lots of Chinese symbols around me, I asked myself if these symbols could be built up from elementary lines or forms (like our words are made up out of 26 letters). Is that the case?

**Tags:** characters

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-05-25. Score: 6

explanation in modern day research:

we use components (部件), to "build up" chinese characters; and there're 1316.

<http://chardb.iis.sinica.edu.tw/system_intro.jsp>

basically, we have 8 types of stroke (筆畫) to compose each component.

about the "structural relations and configuration regularity" of components, have a look of this page; in english and traditional chinese:

<http://other.allad.com.tw/chinese2/teacher_e.php>

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Any links to all the 1316 部件? Thanks  
> **username_1**: you may have a look of 漢語多功能字庫, for Oracle Bone Script Components: http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/oraclePiece.php for Bronze Script Components: http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/bronzePiece.php  
> **username_2**: Unfortunately the number is far from the 1316. ='(    Any other source?  
> **username_1**: btw, the number is depends on who did the research (simplified, or traditional chinese, ). have a read of this pdf file:  http://cdp.sinica.edu.tw/service/documents/T090904.pdf  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2022-07-22. Score: 0

仅仅从字形上划分有下面几类：The Chinese symbols can be built up from elementary lines or forms by following three types:

笔画：https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroke\_(CJK\_character)

偏旁：https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/%E5%81%8F%E6%97%81

部首：https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical\_(Chinese\_characters)


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2022-07-23. Score: 0

A Chinese character is built-up by radical(部首) and character parts(偏旁). Here is a list of [radicals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_Indexing_Chinese_Character_Components), and here is a list with [examples](https://mszhaoschineseclass.weebly.com/uploads/9/7/9/6/9796141/names_of_radicals_and_character_parts.pdf?c=mkt_w_chnl:aff_geo:all_prtnr:sas_subprtnr:1538097_camp:brand_adtype:txtlnk_ag:weebly_lptype:hp_var:358504&sscid=71k6_mqmcm).


---

