Chinese character components

There are two methods for Chinese character component analysis, hierarchical dividing and plane dividing. Hierarchical dividing separates layer by layer from larger to smaller components, and finally gets the primitive components. Plane dividing separates out the primitive components at one time.

The structure of a Chinese character is the pattern or rule in which the character is formed by its (first level) components. Chinese character structures include single-component structure, left–right structure, up–down structure and surrounding structure.

Analysis

Chinese characters may be analyzed in terms of smaller components. This analysis is generally based on graphical forms, without considering aspects like pronunciation and meaning.

Component analysis is very helpful for learning Chinese characters. For example:

• 想→相+心
• 湘→氵+相
• 相→木+目

Through component analysis, one may learn characters in an easier way. If a student learns 相 first, the knowledge will help with the learning or review of 想, 湘, 木 and 目. Obviously, learning by component analysis is much more efficient than learning by analyzing each character to strokes. Component analysis is also used in Chinese character encoding for computer input.

There are two methods for Chinese character dividing, hierarchical dividing and plane dividing. Hierarchical dividing separates layer by layer from large to small components, and finally gets the primitive components. Plane dividing separates out the primitive components at one time. Hierarchical dividing can display the external structure of Chinese characters, while plane splitting can be regarded as omitting the higher splitting levels, and directly writing out the final separating result of primitive components.

Rules for division

The rules for hierarchical dividing include:

• The separation space ditch/gap (分割沟) is an obvious boundary, where the character (or bigger component) is split into (smaller) components.
• If there is only one separation ditch, split into two components along the separation ditch. For example: 私→禾+厶, 兵→丘+八.
• When there is more than one separation ditch, divide along the longer one first. For example: 想→ 相+心， 相→木+目, to get the hierarchical structure of 想(相(木+目)+心) with two layers of components.
• When several separation ditches are parallel and equal in length, divide along all of them. For example: 鴻→氵+工+鳥.
• Intersecting stroke groups are not divided, for example, 車 and 车 are primitive components.
• The lower bound of dividing is generally greater than single strokes, and components with only two strokes, such as "二八刁", are not to be separated.
• Hierarchical analysis should conform to the basic structure of Chinese characters. For example: the outermost layer of "謎" is in a left-right structure, so the left and right separation is employed first: 謎→訁+迷, followed by the inside-outside division (迷→辶+米), although the latter's L-shaped separation ditch may be longer.
• A character containing multi-level components are divided from larger to smaller sizes to generate first-level components, second-level components, third-level components, etc.

An example

The hierarchical analysis of character 戇 in (1) bracketed representation:

<span lang="zh" about="#mwt84" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"戇"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwgg"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>戇</span>(<span lang="zh" about="#mwt85" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"贛"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwgw"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>贛</span>(<span lang="zh" about="#mwt86" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"章"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwhA"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>章</span>(<span lang="zh" about="#mwt87" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"立"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwhQ"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>立</span>+<span lang="zh" about="#mwt88" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"早"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwhg"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>早</span>(<span lang="zh" about="#mwt89" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"日"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwhw"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>日</span>+<span lang="zh" about="#mwt90" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"十"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwiA"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>十</span>))+(⿱<span lang="zh" about="#mwt91" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"lang-zh","href":"./Template:Lang-zh"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"夂貢"},"labels":{"wt":"no"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwiQ"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>夂貢</span>)(<span lang="zh" about="#mwt92" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"夂"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwig"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>夂</span>+<span lang="zh" about="#mwt93" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"貢"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwiw"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>貢</span>(<span lang="zh" about="#mwt94" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"工"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwjA"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>工</span>+<span lang="zh" about="#mwt95" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"貝"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwjQ"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>貝</span>(<span lang="zh" about="#mwt96" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"目"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwjg"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>目</span>+<span lang="zh" about="#mwt97" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"八"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwjw"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>八</span>))))+<span lang="zh" about="#mwt98" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"心"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwkA"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>心</span>),<sup about="#mwt99" class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-8" rel="dc:references" typeof="mw:Transclusion mw:Extension/ref" data-mw='{"name":"ref","attrs":{"group":"lower-alpha"},"body":{"id":"mw-reference-text-cite_note-8"},"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"efn","href":"./Template:Efn"},"params":{"1":{"wt":" \"(⿱{{lang-zh|夂貢|labels=no}})\" represents the right component of {{zhi|c=贛}}, which is not displayable in Unicode"}},"i":0}}]}'><a href="./Chinese_character_components#cite_note-8" data-mw-group="lower-alpha" id="mwkQ"><span class="mw-reflink-text" id="mwkg"><span class="cite-bracket" id="mwkw">[</span>a<span class="cite-bracket" id="mwlA">]</span></span></a></sup> 5 layers of components.

or in tree structure:

<span lang="zh" about="#mwt102" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"戇"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwlw"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>戇</span> / \ <span lang="zh" about="#mwt103" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"贛"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwmA"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>贛</span> <span lang="zh" about="#mwt104" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"心"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwmQ"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>心</span> / \ <span lang="zh" about="#mwt105" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"章"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwmg"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>章</span> (⿱<span lang="zh" about="#mwt106" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"lang-zh","href":"./Template:Lang-zh"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"夂貢"},"labels":{"wt":"no"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwmw"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>夂貢</span>) / \ / \ <span lang="zh" about="#mwt107" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"立"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwnA"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>立</span> <span lang="zh" about="#mwt108" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"早"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwnQ"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>早</span> <span lang="zh" about="#mwt109" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"夂"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwng"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>夂</span> <span lang="zh" about="#mwt110" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"貢"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwnw"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>貢</span> / \ / \ <span lang="zh" about="#mwt111" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"日"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwoA"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>日</span> <span lang="zh" about="#mwt112" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"十"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwoQ"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>十</span> <span lang="zh" about="#mwt113" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"工"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwog"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>工</span> <span lang="zh" about="#mwt114" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"貝"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwow"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>貝</span> / \ <span lang="zh" about="#mwt115" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"目"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwpA"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>目</span> <span lang="zh" about="#mwt116" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"八"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwpQ"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>八</span>

The level to which a Chinese character is to be analyzed or divided depends on actual applications.

In plane analysis, only components on the tree-leaves are presented, i.e.,

<span lang="zh" about="#mwt117" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"戇"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwqQ"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>戇</span>: <span lang="zh" about="#mwt118" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"立"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwqg"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>立</span>,<span lang="zh" about="#mwt119" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"日"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwqw"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>日</span>,<span lang="zh" about="#mwt120" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"十"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwrA"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>十</span>,<span lang="zh" about="#mwt121" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"夂"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwrQ"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>夂</span>,<span lang="zh" about="#mwt122" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"工"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwrg"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>工</span>,<span lang="zh" about="#mwt123" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"目"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwrw"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>目</span>,<span lang="zh" about="#mwt124" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"八"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwsA"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>八</span>,<span lang="zh" about="#mwt125" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw='{"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"zhi","href":"./Template:Zhi"},"params":{"c":{"wt":"心"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwsQ"><link rel="mw:PageProp/Category" href="./Category:Articles_containing_Chinese-language_text"/>心</span>.

Analysis data of the Cihai

The following is the analysis data of Cihai (辭海), with a character set of 16,339 traditional and simplified Chinese characters.

In most cases, a component is larger than a stroke and smaller than the whole character (combines with some other components to form the character). The condition for a single stroke to be a component is: occupies a relatively independent location usually occupied by a multiple-stroke component in a character. For example: the top stroke 一 in character 元, the bottom 一 in 旦, the left 丨 in 旧, the right ㇟ in 礼, the central ㇔ in 勺, and the outer ㇆ in 司. In the special cases of one-stroke characters, such as 一 and 乙, a stroke is a component and is a character.