古代把中國字的造法，分作六項，稱作六書，就是象形、指事、會意、形聲、轉注、假借。到了近代，有一位文字學家唐蘭，他指出古代所謂六書，有兩大缺失：(1)界限不明顯，各人可有各人的說法。(2)每個字如用六書來分類，往往難以斷定應屬於那一類。所以他主張不如歸併為三類，便是：象形、象意、形聲。現在把後者三類，介紹給大家：

象形：描繪事物的形狀來表達，象意：用抽象的概念符號來表達，如：

形聲：如形在左、聲在右的「泳」、「油」。

  如形在上、聲在下的「竿」、「蕉」。

  如形在右、聲在左的「期」、「鳩」。

  如形在下、聲在上的「想」、「燙」。

(二) 中國文字的演變

1. 古文：我們現在能夠看到的古文，有下列兩種：

甲  a.甲骨文：這是到現在已經確實看到的最古字體，前面講過是在一八九九年，在中國的河南省安陽縣境的殷墟舊址發現刻在龜甲獸骨上的文字，因為安陽從西元前一三九八～一一一二年是商代的國都，所以稱做殷墟。

     b.鐘鼎文：又名金文，是商代鐘鼎銅器上所鑄的文字，有周成王時代(西元前一一○四～一○六八年)毛公鼎上的文字。

2. 大篆： (Seal Script)西元前八○○年確定的，書寫上不能有撇、捺。

3.         秦漢以前，大篆流行，大篆是甲骨文演變而來，而秦代通用的是小篆，西元前三○○年末，李斯制定小篆。

4.       隸書： (Clerical Script) 隸書的創作，是中國文字和書法發展史上一次重大的改革，它上承篆書的規則，下開楷書的先河，有著傳承過去，開啟未來的重要歷史意義，現在的書法，都由隸書衍化，可見它在書法上的重要性。

5.      楷書： (Standard Script) 自從東漢章帝時開始通用，一直用到現在，唐朝到清朝，每次科舉考試，正楷的工拙，是評斷的依據資料之一。

6.      草書： (Cursive Script) 行書 (Running Script), 這兩種書法與楷書並行通用，在使用毛筆之後，因為可以寫得很快，自然趨於草率而產生草書。行書的產生，是在漢朝後期，而盛行於魏、晉、唐，比楷書簡易活潑，較草書莊重，最為適用，所以一直沿用到現在。

 (     (三) 中國文字的字數

In the old days Chinese characters used to be divided into 6

categories, called six Calligraphy, and they are pictographs,

 metaphoricals, implications, determinative-phonetics,

 interpretative symbols, and phonetically loaned characters.

 But more recently, the linguistics master 唐蘭 pointed out

 that there are two disadvantages in dividing Chinese

characters into the six Calligraphy categories.

  Because:

   1.      The boundaries are not always clear; everyone

          has  different interpretations.

   2.       Some characters belong to more than one category.

          So he suggested that there be 3 categories instead,

          and they are:

 1.      Pictographs

A pictograph consists of one or more greatly simplified drawings of objects the character denotes.

 2.      Metaphoricals

In this category the meaning of a character is suggested by its significant combination of 2 or more pictographs.

 3.      Determinative-phonetics

This group of characters is formed by a radical, called the determinative, and a phonetic, with the former element indicating the category within which the meaning of the character is to be sought while the latter indicating the pronunciation.

 2.      Chinese writing evolution

 1. Classical Chinese literature: now We can see the classical Chinese literature, has the following two kinds: Inscription on animal bones and tortoise shells: This was already truly saw to the present the most ancient typeface, front has said is in 1899, sends in China's Henan Province Anyang County boundary's Yin Dynasty ruins former site now on the carapace animal bones' writing, because Anyang from B.C. 1398 ~ 1112 was Shang Dynasty's national capital, therefore was called as the Yin Dynasty ruins. Bronze inscriptions: Other name bronze inscription, are the writing which on the Shang Dynasty clock tripod with two handles copperware casts, has Zhou Chengwang the time (B.C. 1104 ~ in 1068) on Mao Gongding's writing.

 2.      Large seal script: (Seal Script) 800 B.C. definite, writes

      cannot have casts aside, Presses down firmly. 

 3 .    Small seal script: Before the Qin and Han Dynasty, the 

     large seal script is popular, the Large seal script is the

    inscription on animal bones and tortoise Shells evolves

     comes, what but Qin is general is the small seal  

    Script, B.C. 300 the end of the year, Li Si formulates the

     small seal Script.

  4.     Official script: (Clerical Script) the official script creation,

    is the Chinese writing and the calligraphy history previous

    significant reform, its deck seal script's rule, gets down

    opens the kaishu the beginning, has the inheritance past,

   the opening future important historic importance, present's

   calligraphy, evolves by the official script, obviously it in

   calligraphy importance.

  5.      Standard Script: Eastern Han Dynasty Emperor   Zhang   when starts General, has used the present, the Tang Dynasty to arrive at the Qing Dynasty, each time the imperial civil service examination Test, Regular script skilled and unskilled, is one of judgment  basis material.

6.Cursive Script & Running Script

These two calligraphy and Standard Script may use  at  

the same Time, after using the writing brush, because   maywrite very quickly, tends naturally careless has the    Cursive script. The Running script production, is in the Han Dynasty later period, but is in vogue Wei、Jin、   Tang,compare to Standard script simple lively,compares the Cursive script be grave, is most suitable,  there has continued to use the present.

   ☆  We use the PowerPoint to list the writing evolution.

 待續