Reading and Writing Chinese has been the standard text for foreign students and self-teachers of the Chinese writing system since Tuttle first published it in 1978. In this new, completely revised edition, the experience of the book's use in classrooms has been drawn on to produce a more convenient, efficient, and up-to-date introduction to the Chinese writing system. Over 1,100 new combinations of characters have been added, increasing the total vocabulary significantly, to about 4,500 items. Seventy new notes on usage appear, enhancing students' insight into the contemporary state of the language. For each of the basic 1,062 characters, the pronunciation, definition, and derivation are given, with examples of the use of most characters, and there is a chart showing how to write each character. Hints for memorization and cautionary cross-references to look-alike characters are provided here, as well as information that clarifies often-overlooked aspects of the writing system.
