Reading & Writing Chinese Traditional Character Edition - by William McNaughton & Li Ying (Paperback)

About the Book

"Reading and Writing Chinese has been the leading text for foreign students and teachers of the Chinese writing system since it was first published. This completely revised edition draws on the lessons learnt from the use of the book in classrooms so as to provide a more convenient and up-to-date introduction to written Chinese. Over 1,100 new combinations of characters have been added, increasing the total vocabulary significantly to about 4,500 items. There are also new notes on usage to give students insight into the contemporary state of the Chinese language. The student's ability to read Chinese and write Chinese are reinforced throughout."--Page 4 of cover.

Book Synopsis

A comprehensive guide to reading and writing Chinese characters.

Reading and Writing Chinese is a widely used reference for students and teachers of the Chinese writing system. This revised edition updates and expands the original work, incorporating classroom experience to provide a clear and structured introduction to written Chinese.

Over 1,100 vocabulary items have been added, bringing the total to approximately 4,500. The book provides systematic coverage of over 1,000 core characters, supporting both reading and writing development through consistent practice and explanation.

Each character includes pronunciation in Hanyu Pinyin, definition, and derivation, along with example usage. Memorization tips and notes on similar or easily confused characters are included throughout, helping clarify key aspects of the writing system.

Key features include:

• Over 1,000 core characters and approximately 4,500 vocabulary items
• Expanded coverage with more than 1,100 additional entries
• Hanyu Pinyin pronunciations for all entries
• Character derivation and usage notes
• Stroke-order guidance and writing support
• Memorization tips and "look-alike" character notes
• Coverage of both traditional and simplified forms
• Radical and structural organization of characters

Review Quotes

"Excellent reference book for beginning and Intermediate–level Chinese. Well laid out with several ways to look up characters. Common phrases are also listed with each character." --Goodreads

"Reading & Writing Chinese - Traditional Character Edition was of particular interest given that Hong Kong still uses it over the simplified Chinese employed in mainland China." --Randal van de Woning, BWG blog

About the Author

William McNaughton was the founding teacher of Chinese at Oberlin College. From 1986 he taught at Hong Kong's City University, where he was the founding program leader of the BA (Honors) program in Translation and Interpretation.