The image below shows Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights written in the Zhuang language.

English translation: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."

Focus Question:  What is the writing system used by the Chinese (characters, which are symbols for concepts/ideas) and how does it differ from an alphabetic writing system?

CROSS-LINK: The History of Writing in our Bookcase for Young Writers

The English alphabet consists of 26 letters. The letters represent sounds. The sounds are written together to create words. 

 Link here for a YouTube video that shows the phonics of the English alphabet. 


The Chinese writing system consists of thousands of different characters. Each character represents a different syllable or word. The different characters are put together to create words. 

• Link here for examples of Chinese writing and how the characters are put together to create different words.

• Link here for a comparison of English to Chinese.

• Link here for a Chinese word of the day

 Learn how to write "Elementary School" in Chinese in this video.



Top Chinese Learning Apps for Children


Translate English into Chinese writing.

Master Chinese calligrapher Cai Xingyi demonstrates five major scripts. Try your hand at brush painting in this digital interactive. Created by Asian Art Museum.