Understanding the Chinese Language provides a vibrant and comprehensive introduction to contemporary Chinese linguistics. Combining an accessible style with an

The principal unit of a Chinese character, called the Radical (RADIX-root), gives the general meaning of the character. Most of the time, it is placed on the le

"DeFrancis's book is first rate. It entertains. It teaches. It demystifies. It counteracts popular ignorance as well as sophisticated (cocktail party) ignorance

Learning Chinese can be frustrating and difficult, partly because it's very different from European languages. Following a teacher, textbook or language course