Is there an easy method to understand Simplified Chinese characters if you only know Traditional characters?

Question

Most people I know say that one cannot read the other and visa versa. (of course, most Americans don't realize that people in Taiwan and Hong Kong (traditional) can't read what's written in China and Singapore (simplified), yet, however, CAN actually understand some of the things written in Japanese (nouns only.)

Answer 1

You can still read enough simplified to make an educated guess if you only know traditional. Most words that were simplified were done in a pattern by replacing certain repeating symbols with an easier one. Actually simplified has more in common to Japanese than Traditional does because much of the Simplified characters were created by reverting back to the older form of writing, some that existed around the time Chinese characters were passed to Japan. "Kanji" Characters in Japan literally means "Han Words" from the Han dynasty in China. Most people I know in Taiwan would rather not read simplified, but that's more to do with political reasons.

Answer 2

There is no easy method to understand Simplified Chinese characters if you only know Traditional Chinese characters. Lots of reading in both forms help though. It is also possible to guess the characters as certain parts of them tend to remain the same. As for being able to understand some stuff written in Japanese, that must be kanji. Kanji is imported from China and has a lot of words that are similar to Traditional Chinese characters. That explains why people who know Traditional Chinese are able to understand kanji.

Answer 3

lol this is humorous you're saying that, although, because my friends from Mainland have a difficult time studying classic characters, a minimum of for the first few years residing in the States. finally, they get used to studying classic characters and far later, they have a tendency to kind've forget their very own simplified characters because like you reported, classic is in a large number of situations what you word in overseas places chinese communities (except Singapore and Malaysia). Now, i became taught classic characters first.. yet I kinda discovered simplified characters on my own by grabbing some Mandarin preparation books for foreigners. The transition, for my section, is amazingly no longer all of that difficult fantastically once you've the favor (to study the different equipment), endurance and an open-techniques. and that i say "open-techniques" because clientele of both classic and simplified characters will each and every now and then get right into a HEATED argument as to which equipment is "excellent" vs. "better", etc. i in my opinion imagine simplified characters have lost a range of of the sweetness that classic chinese characters safeguard or maybe compared to the jap kanji (changed/simplified chinese characters utilized in Japan in the present day), simplified characters seem a lot less eye-catching. though, simplified characters are very handy to apply. :) i love both and that i settle for the decision that cutting-part written chinese language has. :)

Answer 4

ni hao.. im from the philippines and ive never been to china or (closely) related to anyone chinese. but i study in a chinese school. For the past 2 years we've been taught Fookien or amoy. and now were taught mandarin. i don't know which is simplified and which is not. but i do understand that most characters look the same but mean soooo different. For the untrained eye its most likely the same, i suggest you learn the language which is best suited for you. if you live in a place were traditional is most likely used.. stay there..
i hope im being useful..

Answer 5

try to read more in simplified chinese

Answer 6

You want to try this:-

http://www.babelfish.altavista.com/