A blog about travel, life and culture in the sweet potato shaped island of Taiwan ! You will also tips about how to improve your Mandarin and Hokkien to better fit into the the Taiwanese society !
Super Chinese Characters Database
Super Chinese Characters Database
Do you ever wonder about the number of commonly used characters in Taiwan? The exact count remains elusive, with estimates ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 characters, adding an element of mystery to the linguistic landscape.
In this section, we introduce a module that not only organizes characters based on their frequency but also incorporates a logical study order. The assessment of common vocabulary spans six dimensions: children’s cognition, reading materials at various levels, engagement with adult literature, dictionary usage, school textbooks, and compositions by children. Following a meticulous statistical analysis, the characters are categorized into eight levels according to their usage rates. Higher levels represent more significant opportunities for practical use. Understanding these characters at an earlier stage proves highly beneficial for both children and adults.
Remarkably, the third level alone encompasses 82% of characters used in daily communication. Progressing to the fourth level extends this coverage to 90%, and achieving mastery at the fifth level brings the comprehension rate to an impressive 95%! Imagine, with a knowledge of around 1,500 characters, you can already comprehend about 95% of content in a Taiwanese newspaper. It’s a powerful realization of language proficiency that opens doors to a broader understanding of written communication.
Bubble Tea Island 