Spoken Mandarin Chinese is not a difficult language to learn, but the written language is another story. It can take many years of study before becoming fluent in reading and writing Chinese characters.

New Ways To An Old Subject

Computer input methods make it easier to write Chinese characters, and there are computer programs which can aid in reading Chinese characters. While these aids can provide valuable support, there is no substitute for learning to write characters by hand, and being able to read them directly.
Over the years, there have been many methods developed for mastering Chinese characters, including traditional textbooks and modern computer programs.
Chinese Characters: A Genealogy and Dictionary, published in 1998, was written by Rick Harbaugh while he was studying economics in Taiwan. Based on Xu Shen's Shuowen Jiezi of more than 2000 years ago, Harbaugh shows that every part of every character can be traced back to less than 200 root characters (wen). This system shows how every part of every character is itself a character, so that if the reader knows any component of a character, he or she will be able to quickly locate that character in the dictionary, all the while gaining knowledge of the interconnectedness between Chinese characters.

Dictionary Organization

Harbaugh has organized Chinese Characters: A Genealogy and Dictionary on 182 components based on the "seal" characters from more than 2,000 years ago. These components, or zipuare an alternative to the 214 radicals which are the organizing feature of most modern Chinese dictionaries. While the zipu are distinct from the radicals, there is a certain amount of overlap between the two systems.
The zipu system allows new characters to be found if any part of the character is known, or if another character is known which shares the same component.
Each character entry has a definition, a pronunciation in pinyin, and a list of compound words that include that character.
The individual components of a character form the basis for searching for other characters which share those components. For example, the character 字 consists of the components 宀 and 子, either of which can be the basis for a new search for characters which have either of those components.
By using these components for searching, the student quickly builds up a repertoire of characters which have a common feature, which often contributes to a common meaning or pronunciation amongst these characters, which would otherwise be lost to users of more traditional, radical based dictionaries.

Etymologies

The term zipu is translated as "character genealogies", and refer to the traditional etymologies of the seal characters which are more than 2,000 years old. They are not meant to be a reflection of the current study of Chinese character etymologies, which is based on Chinese characters even older than the seal characters.
Nevertheless, the zipu system proves a useful tool for classifying and arranging the 4,000 charcters of Harbaugh's dictionary, which also includes more traditional indexes such as stroke count, pinyin pronunciation, radical, and bopomofo. This comprehensive approach assures success when searching for characters.
Even though the etymologies may not be true to the latest scholarly research, they provide an extremely useful tool for memorizing Chinese characters by learning to recognize their various components.

Website

The dictionary is available in book form, but has also been published on the Internet. Thewebsite version of Chinese Characters: A Genealogy and Dictionary features linked characters, allowing you to browse through the dictionary by clicking on any character. This intuitive structure allows you to easily relationships between characters and words.

Traditional Characters

Chinese Characters: A Genealogy and Dictionary is based on the traditional Chinese charactersused in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Dictionary entries include the simplified versions, but since the zipu system cannot be applied to simplified characters due to the fact that they have typically lost their traditional components, the organizing principals are better suited to traditional characters. The inclusion of simplified characters makes this dictionary suitable for any student of Mandarin Chinese.

Study Materials

Anyone learning Mandarin Chinese should not rely on just one text. A variety of study materials is needed to gain better understanding in each language area - grammar, spoken Mandarin, reading, and writing.

There are several other Mandarin dictionaries on the market, some of which can supplementChinese Characters: A Genealogy and Dictionary, but this one should be part of every Mandarin student's library.