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Shinjitai facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Shinjitai (新字体) means "new character forms" in Japanese. These are kanji (Japanese characters that come from Chinese characters) that were made simpler in Japan. This happened after World War II.

The Japanese government wanted to make writing easier. So, they changed many old character forms, called kyūjitai (旧字体), into shinjitai. The new characters meant the same thing and sounded the same. But they were written with fewer strokes. For example, the character 樂 became 楽.

Some shinjitai characters are also used in simplified Chinese characters. For instance, the character 国 is used in both Japanese and simplified Chinese. However, most shinjitai look more like traditional Chinese characters (which are like kyūjitai). There are also fewer shinjitai than simplified Chinese characters.

Most Japanese words today use the shinjitai form. But for a few words, the kyūjitai form is still common. For example, "dragon" is usually 竜 (shinjitai). But writing 龍 (kyūjitai) is also quite common. For many kanji, the shinjitai form is the same as the kyūjitai form.

Comparing Old and New Characters

Let's look at how kyūjitai (old forms), shinjitai (new Japanese forms), and simplified Chinese characters compare. You'll see how some characters changed in different ways.

Kyūjitai (Old Form) Shinjitai (New Japanese Form) Simplified Chinese Meaning
Characters simplified differently in Japanese and Chinese
dragon
turtle
广 wide / big area
close / barrier
single / odd
second / Asia
happy / joy / pleasure
round / Japanese yen or Chinese yuan (money)
iron / railroad
齿 tooth
Characters simplified the same way in Japanese and Chinese
country / nation
湿 湿 wet / damp
豿 dog
noodles
old
form / body
return
Characters simplified in Chinese but not in Japanese
east
car / vehicle / wheel
drink
talk / speech
silver
paper
shell
measure
door / gate
hear / news
leaf
machine
love
Characters simplified in Japanese but not in Chinese
thirsty
ice
Buddha / Buddhism
Characters not simplified in either language
salty soil / lagoon
mouse / rat

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Shinjitai para niños

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