Meaning of 文字
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- character
- script
- writing
- written language
- writing style
- phraseology
Measure word: 個|个
How to use 文字
文字 refers to writing as a system or to the written text itself, as opposed to speech, pictures or numbers. It often appears in more formal contexts, such as talking about a country's script or the text on a page. Example: 这本书的文字很简单。(Zhè běn shū de wénzì hěn jiǎndān.) The writing in this book is very simple.
文 (wén) means writing or culture, and 字 (zì) means a single character. Put them together and you get the whole system of written symbols: 文字, script or written language.
Common mistake: Learners often use 文字 when they mean one Chinese character, but for a single character you say 字 (zì) or 汉字 (Hànzì). Also keep 文字 (wénzì) apart from 数字 (shùzì), which means numbers, not writing.
文字 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
文 wén · language · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
字 zì · letter · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 文字.
| 名字 | míngzi | name (of a person or thing) |
| 中文 | Zhōngwén | Chinese language |
| 汉字 | Hànzì | Chinese character(s) |
| 课文 | kèwén | text |
| 数字 | shùzì | numeral; digit |
| 英文 | Yīngwén | English (language) |
| 字典 | zìdiǎn | Chinese character dictionary (containing entries for single characters, contrasted with a |
| 作文 | zuòwén | to write an essay; composition (student essay) |
| 文件 | wénjiàn | document; file |
| 文化 | wénhuà | culture; civilization |
| 文章 | wénzhāng | article; essay |
| 文明 | wénmíng | civilized; civilization |
Questions about 文字
What does 文字 mean?
文字 (wénzì) means "character; script" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 文字?
文字 is made of 2 characters: 文 (4 strokes), 字 (6 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 文字 an HSK word?
Yes. 文字 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 文字 and 语言?
语言 (yǔyán) is language in general, including speech. 文字 is only the written form of a language. Some languages have a 语言 but no 文字 of their own.
Can 文字 mean the text of a message or post?
Yes. In everyday use 文字 can mean the words on a page or screen, as opposed to images or video. For example, 图片和文字 (túpiàn hé wénzì) means pictures and text.