Ambiguities in Chinese character simplification

A number of Chinese characters are simplified-traditional multipairings (简繁一对多; 簡繁一對多), which do not have a one-to-one mapping between their simplified and traditional forms.[1]

This is usually because the simplification process merged two or more distinct characters into one.[2] In most cases, these traditional characters are homonyms, having the same pronunciation but different meanings. As a result, converting text from simplified to traditional characters is difficult to automate, especially in the case of common characters such as 后後 (behind, empress), 表錶 (table, clock), 奸姦 (traitor, rape) and more.

In a smaller number of cases, a single traditional character is mapped to multiple simplified characters as the character is only simplified in one of its usages.

The following is an exhaustive list of all characters whose simplified and traditional forms do not map in a one-to-one manner. Simplified characters are marked with a pink background, and traditional characters with lavender.

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万萬  丑醜  丰豐  于於  云雲  仆僕  余餘  克剋  党黨  冬鼕  沖衝  准準  几幾  出齣  划劃  别彆  刮颳  制製  千韆  卜蔔  鹵滷  卷捲  歷曆  發髮  衹隻  叶葉  吁籲  合閤  吊弔  同衕  后後  向嚮  周週  咸鹹  咽嚥  哄鬨  喂餵  回迴  團糰  困睏  壇罈  垻壩  復複  夸誇  奸姦  姜薑  家傢  盡儘  岳嶽  布佈  帘簾  彌瀰  當噹  征徵  御禦  志誌  惡噁  愿願  才纔  扎紮  托託  折摺  据據  擺襬  斗鬥  旋鏇  曲麯  术術  朱硃  朴樸  松鬆  板闆  匯彙  沈瀋  注註  涂塗  淀澱  游遊  漓灕  症癥  秋鞦  种種  筑築  簽籤  篱籬  累纍  縴纖  胡鬍  臟髒  致緻  舍捨  芸蕓  蘇囌  范範  獲穫  蔑衊  表錶  谷穀  贊讚  辟闢  郁鬱  里裏  鍾鐘  面麵  須鬚  飢饑 

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干乾幹  系係繫 

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台檯臺颱  蒙懞濛矇 

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著着 

Special cases

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  • , : is both the simplified character for níng (peaceful, traditional: ) and traditional character for zhù (to store, simplified: ).
  • , : is both the simplified character for níng (limonene, traditional: ) and traditional character for zhù (boehmeria, simplified: ).
  • 瞭了, 了瞭:
    • le (completed action marker) is written in both simplified and traditional.
    • liào (to watch from a height or distance) is written in both simplified and traditional.
    • liǎo (bright, understand) is written in simplified and in traditional.
  • 甚什, 什甚:
    • shí (ten, miscellaneous) is written in both simplified and traditional.
    • shèn (extremely, exceed) is written in both simplified and traditional.
    • shén (what) is written in simplified and or in traditional.
  • 夥伙, 伙夥:
    • huǒ (meals) is written in both simplified and traditional.
    • huǒ (many) is written in both simplified and traditional.
    • huǒ (partner, combine) is written in simplified and in traditional.
  • 藉借, 借藉:
    • written in both simplified and traditional.
    • jiè written in both simplified and traditional.
    • jiè written in both simplified and traditional.
    • jiè written in simplified and in traditional.
  • 么麽, 幺麼:
    • yāo is written (variant: ) in both simplified and traditional.
    • is written (variant: ) in both simplified and traditional.
    • me is written in simplified and in traditional.

References

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  1. ^ Jordan, David K. (24 September 2021). "More Than You Want To Know About Simplified Characters". China-Related Resources. University of California, San Diego. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  2. ^ Liu, Yuli (16 January 2023). "The All-Too Complicated History of Simplified Chinese". Sixth Tone. Shanghai United Media Group. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024. This involved choosing a single character variant, usually one with fewer strokes, and making it the official form.
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