Simplified Character vs. Traditional Characters

[spock]

Hey guys as a beginner in Chinese language I'm having little concern about which characters should I learn

I know that it depend on where I want to use chinese Taiwan/HK or Mainland but is it truth that if I will learn traditional ones I would be able to read simplified ones as well ?

I would be grateful for some tips

[Koxinga]

If you learn one, you'll be able to read a good portion of the other, but not all.

A lot of people say it's easier to learn traditional first and then simplified, than going the other way.

[renzhe]

if I will learn traditional ones I would be able to read simplified ones as well ?

Not automatically, but it is only a month or two of extra work to be able to read both.

Learning to read either set is the big challenge. Learning the read the other one is quite easy. Most people will feel more comfortable with whatever they learned first, though.

In my experience, it is easier to learn one set first, and then learn the other one, as opposed to learning both at the same time. Also, I do not believe that it matters which one you learn first, it's probably equally difficult either way.

[grawrt]

Renzhe is right, You should stick with one when first begining.

When I first took chinese the classes were taught primarily in traditional characters. The next level of classes were taught with simplified characters and I was just lost. I could read it but writing it was a hassle, and I had to learn the simplified versions of characters I already knew while learning new vocabulary. It was really hard to keep up with the pace of the class.

[Meng Lelan]

When I first took chinese the classes were taught primarily in traditional characters. The next level of classes were taught with simplified characters and I was just lost. I could read it but writing it was a hassle

My experience too. My first Chinese language teacher was from Taiwan and he was an excellent teacher. He had us all learn to read and write traditional then when I first went to the mainland I had a really hard time with trads the first few months. Then a few years later (after I mastered both) I had reading class with a classmate who grew up with trads and she was always nudging me in class and pointing to a simplified asking me what it was in trads. She did this for about maybe a couple months.

[lingo-ling]

I recommend learning both.

To clarify: choose one system in which to master both reading and writing. (This depends on what you intend to do with the language when learned: live in Taiwan? Read mainland Chinese/Taiwanese literature? Travel in China?) But with each character you learn in that system, learn to at least recognize its variant.

[spock]

this is very helpful, thank you very much guys

[steveh]

Agree with the above posters.

Choose the one in which you'd like as your default for reading and more so writing. If you plan to live in Taiwan or HK, go traditional, if mainland, then simplified.

I started studying Chinese with simplified characters and used them for maybe 4 years. Then one year during my studies the Professor made us learn traditional characters (since he was a classical Chinese fanatic). All the tests were written in traditional, but we could write either. At that time, I didnt see the need for learning traditional characters and thought it was a waste of time as I was focused on mainland. It took me a few months to be able to read traditional characters (or a good amount) with hard work and lots of self-discipline.

However, the hard work paid off. I did eventually end up in Taiwan (even if only for 3 weeks) and was able to get around with out any troubles because I took the time to learn traditional (though I cant write it).

Also, a lot of people say that if you know and can write the traditional character, it is at many times easier to understand the meaning of a character.