Here’s why many people study only Traditional Chinese characters and not Simplified ones:
1. Family without see
The Traditional character for “Thân” (親) means “family.” The Simplified form (家) loses the element “Kiến” (见, “see”).
It implies “family who don’t see each other.” How many families in China get reunited each year? Brief romances abound everywhere. Ladies and gentlemen disdain morality and roam freely—relatives too can’t stay together happily.
2. Conceived but not born
The Traditional character for “Conceived” (產) means “to give birth.” The Simplified form (产) loses the “Sinh” (生, “birth”) component.
It suggests “conceived but not born.” Private clinics and abortion surgeries are ubiquitous in China. Also, Traditional “Conceived” connotes land wealth—but farmland lies fallow, as people flood into factories and big cities, focused on money instead of grain.
3. Homeland has no youth
Traditional “Hương” (鄉) means “hometown,” while Simplified (乡) loses “Lang” ( 郎 , “young people”).
It means “the homeland has no youth.” Everyone heads to the cities. Villages now see only the elderly, children, and disabled—a common scene in China today.
4. Love without heart
Traditional “Ái” (愛) means “love.” The Simplified (爱) drops the “Tâm” (心, “heart”).
It implies “loveless at heart.” How many still love sincerely? Most chase wealth and fame. One-night stands, flash romances—love has lost its sacred lifelong bond.
5. Flour with no wheat
Traditional “Miến” (麵) means flour/noodles without the “mạch” (麥, wheat) radical. Simplified (面) drops it.
It’s “flour with no wheat”—wonder what it’s really made of? Industrial hormones? Fake food and rice are pervasive in China today.
6. Advancing into a well
Traditional “Tiến” (進) means “advance well.” Simplified (进) drops “Giai” (佳, “good”) and resembles “well” ( 井 ).
It means “advancing into a well”—career and wealth are like chasing the moon in water, grasping flowers in a mirror.
7. Heartless response
Traditional “Ứng” ( 應 ) means “respond.” Simplified ( 应 ) drops “Heart” (心).
It means “heartless response.” Promises vanish in thin air—no shame in breaking them. Trust is fading; promise used to be sacred, now it’s a luxury.
8. Listening with an axe
Traditional “Thính” (聽) for “listen” includes “Ear” (耳), “King” (王), “Ten” (十), “Mục” (目, eye), “One” (一), “Heart” (心).
It means truly listening 100% (ten) with ear, eye, heart, as if the speaker is a king.
But Simplified (听) loses “ear 耳” and now consists of “mouth” (口) and “axe” (斤).
It implies “listening with an axe”—replying harshly rather than truly listening.
9. Excellent (Outstanding) without worries
Traditional “Ưu” (優) means “excellent,” but Simplified (优) drops “Ưu” (憂, worry).
It means “excellent without worries.” Being outstanding requires worry for others. Today’s talents chase personal wealth without concern for others—their gifts bring more worry than good.
10. Harvest without hand
Traditional “Thái” (採) means “harvest” with the “hand” (手) radical. Simplified (采) drops it.
It implies “want to enjoy without working.” Wealthy young people in China wait for everything to be arranged—they desire luxurious lives but won’t lift a finger.
11. Crooked pen
Traditional “Bút” (筆) means “pen.” Simplified (笔) drops elements.
It’s “a crooked pen,” meaning twisting history rather than writing it straight—people today bend history to fit agendas.
12. Guests bearing arms but treasures
Traditional “Tân” (賓) means “guest” with “Bối” (貝, treasure). Simplified (宾) adds “Binh” (兵, soldier).
It means “guests bearing arms” instead of treasures. Once a respected visitor, now foreigners arrive with weapons—sign of chaos.
13. Temple without worship
Traditional “Miếu” (廟) means temple. Simplified (庙) drops “Triều” (朝, ritual/bow).
It means “a temple without worship.” Temples are now tourist sites, profit centers—people no longer come with true devotion.
14. Net without threads
Traditional “Võng” (網) means “net” with “Mịch” (糸, silk). Simplified (网) drops that.
It means “a net without threads,” useless. Law in China is similarly powerless—power replaces rule of law; corruption covers injustice.
A net without fishing line is useless—fish slip through right before your eyes as if in mockery. The law in China is like such a net. In the past, even the emperor had to answer to the law like a commoner. But today, power replaces the rule of law without principle. Those in power can even use their authority to cover the sky with one hand.
15. One mouth in the next generation
Traditional “Hậu” (後) means “later.” Simplified (后) adds “one” (一) and “mouth” (口).
It implies “one mouth in the next generation.” The one-child policy ruined society—elderly have no support.
The above are just a few examples, but they are enough to show that after Chinese characters were simplified, the profound essence of traditional Chinese culture was lost — replaced by distortion and degeneration.
🇨🇳 Chinese translation
Here are the reasons why many people only learn traditional characters and not simplified characters:
The traditional Chinese character for
“亲” (亲) contains “见”. The simplified Chinese character for “亲” removes “见” –
meaning “relatives cannot see each other”. How many families in China hardly see their parents and children every year? Short-term romances are everywhere, people despise morality, and relatives cannot get together.
The traditional Chinese character
“產” (production) contains “生”. The simplified Chinese character “產” removes “生” –
meaning “pregnant but not giving birth”. Nowadays, there are private clinics and abortions everywhere in China. And the original meaning of “產” also refers to property and land, but the fields are abandoned, people only focus on gathering factories and cities, and forget about food.
The traditional Chinese character
“乡” (乡) contains “郎”. The simplified Chinese character “乡” removes “郎” –
meaning “there are no young people in the village”. Everyone is rushing to the city, leaving only the elderly, children and the disabled in the village. This is the norm in rural China today.
Love without Heart
Traditional Chinese “爱” (愛) contains “心”. Simplified Chinese “爱” removes “心” –
meaning “love without heart”. How many people are truly in love nowadays? Most people are chasing after fame and fortune, one-night stands and flash marriages are everywhere, and love has lost its sacred lifelong connection.
The traditional Chinese character for
“面” (麵) contains “麦”. The simplified Chinese character for “面” removes “麦” –
meaning “flour does not contain wheat”. What is this made of? Food mixed with hormones? Fake grains and fake foods are rampant in China.
Progress is not good .
Traditional Chinese character “进” (進) contains “佳”. Simplified Chinese character “进” drops “佳” and looks like “井” –
meaning “moving forward is like falling into a well”. Career and wealth are like the moon in the water and the flower in the mirror, which can never be reached.
The traditional Chinese character
“应” (應) contains “心”. The simplified Chinese character “应” removes “心” –
meaning “respond without intention”. Promises are like the wind, and credit is considered a luxury.
The traditional Chinese character for
“听” (聽) contains “耳、王、十、目、一、心”. The simplified Chinese character for “听” removes the “耳”, leaving only “口、斤” –
meaning “listening without using the ears”. It is no longer listening with the ears, heart and eyes, but speaking out like an axe, responding sharply.
Excellent without worries
Traditional Chinese “优” (優) contains “忧” (憂). Simplified Chinese “优” removes “忧” –
meaning “excellent but without worries”. Truly outstanding people worry about the overall situation, while most talented people today only care about their own interests.
The traditional Chinese character
“采” (采) contains “手”. The simplified Chinese character “采” removes “手” –
meaning “get something for nothing”. Nowadays, many young masters and young ladies are waiting for arrangements, but are unwilling to do it themselves.
The traditional Chinese character
“笔” (笔) is complex. The simplified Chinese character “笔” is simplified –
it means “bend the pen”, that is, “distort history”. Nowadays, people use “bend pens” to write their own historical views.
The traditional Chinese character for
“宾” (bin) contains “貝”. The simplified Chinese character for “宾” plus “兵”
means “the guest brings the soldiers”, from a distinguished guest to an armed guest, a sign of troubled times.
The traditional Chinese character for
“寺” (廟) contains “朝”. The simplified Chinese character for “庙” lacks “朝” –
meaning “no worship in the temple”. Temples have become places for tourism and consumption, and people have no reverence for them.
The traditional Chinese character for
“网” (網) contains “丝”. The simplified Chinese character for “网” removes “丝” –
meaning “a net without silk, a net without use”. The law is also an empty net, power replaces rules, and justice is obscured.
The traditional Chinese character for the last word
“口” (后) is “后”, and the simplified Chinese character for “后” is added with “一、口” –
meaning “there is only one 口 in the offspring”. The one-child policy has resulted in no one to rely on in old age, with serious social consequences.
The above is just the tip of the iceberg, but it is enough to show that simplified characters have reduced the connotation of traditional culture, leading to value deviation and cultural alienation.
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