Simplified vs Traditional Chinese
Type text to see both forms and how each is written.
Simplified
Traditional
5 of 6 characters differ between the two forms. Tap a character:
Simplified · 10 strokes
Traditional · 13 strokes
Simplified and traditional Chinese characters
Simplified characters were introduced in mainland China in the 1950s–60s to reduce the number of strokes, and are used there and in Singapore. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. About a third of everyday characters differ; the rest, such as 人, 大 and 水, are written the same.
FAQ
How do I convert simplified to traditional Chinese?
Type or paste your text; the traditional version appears next to it. The converter maps characters one by one and covers the characters of the HSK vocabulary.
Are traditional characters harder to write?
They usually have more strokes, but follow the same stroke-order rules.
Which should I learn?
Learn the one used where you will use Chinese: simplified for mainland China, traditional for Taiwan and Hong Kong.