Reading & Writing Chinese Traditional Character Edition
A Comprehensive Guide to the Chinese Writing System
William McNaughton author Li Ying author
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Tuttle Publishing
Published:6th Sep '16
Should be back in stock very soon

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
"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
"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
ISBN: 9780804847155
Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 25mm
Weight: unknown
352 pages