选题理由
The emergence of written language in human society signifies a significant advancement in spiritual civilization Among these, Chinese characters stand out as a unique form of pictographic writing, distinguished by their profound meanings and distinctive shapes They serve not only as a writing system for the Chinese language but also as a holistic representation of ancient scientific knowledge and cultural concepts As a logographic system, each Chinese character embodies rich cultural elements, making it an integral part of China's heritage.
Chinese characters are a crucial component of Chinese language education, especially in teaching Chinese as a second language Mastering Chinese characters is essential for learning the language effectively However, the complexity of recognizing, remembering, and writing characters poses significant challenges for many foreign students, who often cite characters as the most difficult aspect of learning Chinese To enhance the teaching of Chinese characters, integrating their forms, sounds, and meanings can not only reduce the difficulty for learners but also increase engagement and improve overall learning outcomes.
Among the hundreds of radicals that form Chinese characters, "竹" (bamboo) is frequently used as a radical Characters derived from this radical encompass various aspects of daily life, including clothing, food, housing, transportation, utility, and entertainment, thereby reflecting the unique cultural and humanistic characteristics of Chinese culture.
A deep analysis of Chinese characters with the radical "竹" (bamboo) reveals the ancient history of bamboo utilization in China The ancients described bamboo as a plant that is "neither rigid nor soft, not grass nor wood, slightly different in appearance but fundamentally similar." They processed bamboo into various products, leading to the development of characters associated with bamboo As human understanding of bamboo has evolved, its applications have become increasingly diverse, resulting in a growing number of characters with the "竹" radical The "Xinhua Dictionary" includes 330 bamboo-related characters, such as 笔 (pen), 藉 (to rely on), 笛 (flute), 筷 (chopsticks), and 箭 (arrow), while various historical dictionaries have documented even more Expressions like "竹报平安" (bamboo brings peace) further illustrate the cultural significance of bamboo in Chinese language and society.
The idioms related to bamboo, such as "竹" and "青梅竹马," are rich with intriguing historical anecdotes Studying Chinese characters that feature "竹" as a radical not only highlights the unique characteristics of these characters but also offers insights into the lifestyle and cultural philosophies of the Chinese people.
For the reasons mentioned above, I have decided to choose the study of Chinese characters with the radical "竹" (bamboo) as the topic for my master's thesis.
研究目的
本论文的研究目的在于：
* 阐明“竹”作为部首去构字的方式及字义特点。
* 进一步了解汉字的本质，加强自己对汉字及其文化的知识。
* 将研究结果应用于越南汉语教学，希望为越南汉字教学提供参考资料。
研究任务
为了达到上述目的，本论文尽量完成下面几项研究任务：
第一，综述一下有关汉字及汉字文化的相关理论问题
This article examines Chinese characters that use "竹" (bamboo) as a radical, exploring their structural characteristics and meanings while also elucidating their cultural significance.
This article examines the current state of Chinese character teaching in the Chinese Language and Culture Department of the Foreign Language University, National University of Hanoi, focusing on third-year students It identifies common errors made by students and provides an analysis of these mistakes Based on the findings, the article offers recommendations for improving the teaching of Chinese characters.
研究对象及范围
This paper focuses on the Chinese character "竹" as a radical in modern Chinese Due to research constraints, it does not delve into the evolution of the character's form or pronunciation Instead, the study explores the construction and meanings of related characters, categorizing them and elucidating their cultural significance.
研究方法
本论文的研究对象是文字，所以采取了文字研究方法，具体是：
* 采取统计法对“竹”字作为部首的汉字进行统计
* 采取描写法、分析法对该类汉字结构和意义进行描写、分析。
* 采取引证法、例证法去充分说明汉字与汉民族文化之间的关系。
* 采取问卷调查对越南传统中医药大学的学习汉字情况进行考察。
论文结构
本论文除前言、结语、参考文献、各附录表之外，一共分为三章
第一章 汉字及汉字文化的相关理论基础
第二章 由“竹”字作为部首的汉字构字及字义特点
第三章 研究结果在越南汉语教学中的应用
汉字及汉字文化的相关理论基础
汉字概说
Chinese characters are among the oldest writing systems in the world, with a development history spanning five to six thousand years Currently, approximately one-quarter of the global population uses them, as noted in "Modern Chinese" edited by Huang Borong Chinese characters have made significant contributions to China's rich cultural history, and the art of beautiful Chinese calligraphy is an integral part of this cultural heritage As a writing system for the Chinese language, Chinese characters have evolved from pictographs to square symbols composed of strokes, commonly referred to as "square characters." They have transformed from ideographic symbols into a system that encompasses form, sound, and meaning, making them a unique form of logographic writing This distinctive characteristic of embodying imagery, phonetics, and semantics sets Chinese characters apart from other writing systems, giving them a unique allure.
Mr He Jiuying emphasizes in "Chinese Character Culture Studies" that writing is a product of culture, serves to enhance cultural development, and is intrinsically a part of culture itself.
Mr Huang Borong's "Modern Chinese," published by Higher Education Press, emphasizes that "writing is a system of symbols that records language and serves as a crucial auxiliary communication tool." He notes that "Chinese characters were gradually created by the ancestors of the Han people through long-term social practice," highlighting that Chinese characters are the written symbol system for documenting the Chinese language.
Chinese characters are a writing system developed by the ancestors of the Han people through extensive social practice As a symbolic representation of the Chinese language, Chinese characters possess several distinctive characteristics.
1.1.2.1 从文字体系上看汉字是表义体系文字
Một hệ thống chữ viết có bản chất cơ bản phụ thuộc vào tính chất của các ký hiệu được sử dụng Chữ viết trên thế giới chủ yếu được chia thành hai loại: chữ viết âm và chữ viết ý nghĩa Chữ viết âm, như chữ cái trong tiếng Anh, thể hiện âm vị hoặc âm tiết của ngôn ngữ mà không truyền đạt ý nghĩa Ngược lại, chữ Hán có mối liên hệ trực tiếp giữa hình dạng và ý nghĩa, như chữ “木” tượng trưng cho cây cối Mặc dù qua các biến thể và cách viết hiện đại, sự trực quan của hình dạng chữ Hán đã giảm, nhưng hầu hết chữ Hán hiện nay vẫn là chữ hình thanh, với bộ thủ vẫn giữ vai trò nhất định trong việc chỉ dẫn ý nghĩa Khi ghi lại các từ đồng âm có ý nghĩa khác nhau, chữ Hán cũng cố gắng thể hiện sự khác biệt qua hình thức, như bộ ba từ “铃, 伶, 翎” với các bộ thủ khác nhau để phân biệt ý nghĩa Tuy nhiên, điều này dẫn đến số lượng chữ Hán lớn và hình thức phức tạp, làm tăng gánh nặng cho việc học và sử dụng Thêm vào đó, do tính chất biểu ý mà không biểu âm, một chữ Hán có thể có nhiều cách phát âm khác nhau trong các phương ngữ khác nhau, gây khó khăn cho việc giao tiếp giữa các vùng.
Written materials in Chinese can be understood by people from different dialect regions Since ideographic characters are directly linked to meaning rather than pronunciation, modern readers can access ancient texts without being affected by changes in phonetics over time.
1.1.2.2 汉字是形、音、义三方面的结合
Chinese characters consist of three essential elements: form, sound, and meaning Each character has a distinct shape, pronunciation, and significance, making them morpheme-based symbols that unify sound and meaning This unique characteristic can pose challenges for beginners; however, once a sufficient number of characters are learned, progressing to vocabulary becomes easier For instance, understanding the character "电" (electricity) allows learners to easily grasp related terms like "电话" (telephone), "电灯" (electric light), and "电影" (movie), as they have already acquired the individual morphemes In contrast, phonetic scripts, such as English with its 26 letters, may seem simpler at first, but learners often struggle with vocabulary due to the varied spellings of words.
1.1.2.3 从汉字记录的语言单位看，汉字代表语素
Characters are a written symbol system that records language, with each character corresponding to a specific linguistic unit In Chinese, characters align with syllables in spoken language, except for the "儿" in the erhua phenomenon, which does not represent a syllable As monosyllabic morphemes serve as the fundamental form of Chinese morphemes, each character represents a single syllable in spoken Chinese.
In Chinese, a syllable typically represents a morpheme with a relatively stable meaning, making Chinese characters a form of morpheme-based writing For instance, the term "自学" consists of two characters that correspond to two syllables in spoken language, where "自" and "学" each hold distinct and stable meanings This combination forms the smallest unit of meaning, known as a morpheme Consequently, the term "字义" in Chinese often refers to the meaning of morphemes.
Chinese characters can record a small number of non-morphemic syllables, such as "玻璃" (glass) and "尼龙" (nylon), representing sounds like bo, li, ni, and long without conveying independent meanings Unlike syllabic scripts, where symbols specifically denote syllables in a language, these Chinese syllables are merely components of a polysyllabic morpheme and only hold significance when part of that morpheme; otherwise, they lose their meaning.
1.1.2.4 从汉字的外形结构上看，汉字是平面型文字
Unlike many phonetic scripts that arrange words in a linear sequence of letters, Chinese characters are represented as square shapes, which significantly differs from linear text While linear scripts expand horizontally from left to right or vertically from top to bottom, Chinese characters develop both horizontally and vertically, creating a two-dimensional structure This complexity in the spatial relationship between strokes results in a rich variety of character forms Factors such as the distance between strokes and their varying lengths further enhance the visual diversity of Chinese characters However, this unique flat structure, with its intricate components and distinct character features, also leads to a large number of similar-looking components and characters, posing challenges for reading and writing in Chinese.
1.1.2.5 从汉字记录汉语的方式看，汉字不实行分词连写
Pinyin text typically uses a connected writing style for words, where individual words are joined together, and spaces indicate the boundaries between them For example, in the phrase "We study Chinese," there are three distinct words represented in this format.
In Chinese, the phrase "we study Chinese" is expressed as "我们学习汉语." Unlike English, Chinese characters are written without spaces to separate words, with each character representing a distinct part of the sentence.
Chinese characters do not utilize word separation in written form, making it challenging for readers to identify internal pauses and boundaries within sentences This can lead to misunderstandings, as illustrated by the sentence "The general covered him with a blanket," which can be interpreted in two ways: "The general used a blanket to cover him" or "The general covered him with a blanket." This ambiguity highlights the difficulties in automatic word segmentation during Chinese language processing, presenting a significant bottleneck in computational linguistics.
1.1.2.6 汉字中所透露的民族文化内涵
Chinese characters are a vital component of the cultural system of the Han nationality, and exploring the formation principles of these characters reveals many cultural characteristics of the Han people As the renowned scholar Chen Yinke once stated, "According to today's standards of philology, explaining a single character is akin to writing a cultural history." The study of Chinese character culture primarily focuses on examining the relationship between Chinese characters and Chinese culture.
(1) 汉字体现了汉民族的社会生活
中国竹文化简介
China is the world's earliest nation to research, cultivate, and utilize bamboo The significant role bamboo has played in the development of Chinese history and culture, as well as its deep-rooted connections to poetry, painting, and landscape architecture, highlights its importance Additionally, bamboo's close relationship with the daily lives of the Chinese people further solidifies China's reputation as a leader in bamboo appreciation and use.
The "Land of Bamboo Civilization" is celebrated for its lush, towering bamboo, which thrives through frost and snow, showcasing resilience and grace throughout the seasons This remarkable plant embodies virtues such as humility, strength, and elegance, earning it the esteemed title of "Gentleman" in cultural symbolism.
Plants, particularly bamboo, have profoundly influenced human civilization Throughout thousands of years of history, China's rich culture has developed a deep connection with bamboo, resulting in a vibrant and unique bamboo culture that is distinctly Chinese.
1.2.1 竹文化的地位与作用
Chinese bamboo culture is a vital component of traditional Chinese culture, playing a unique role in shaping the cultural landscape of China.
Chinese traditional culture serves as a vast repository of the wisdom and spirit of the Chinese nation, forming the foundation for its survival and development With a rich and ancient heritage, Chinese culture has profoundly influenced various aspects of society, including politics, education, literature, and the deep-seated psychological structures and lifestyles of its people.
The Chinese nation boasts over 5,000 years of rich cultural history, characterized by a deep love for life and nature, particularly forests Forests are the cradle of human civilization, where many ancient civilizations emerged and flourished They play an indelible and increasingly vital role in the development of human culture and civilization China's forest culture is rooted in traditional Chinese culture and its unique geographical characteristics This enduring forest culture is a significant component of the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation, with bamboo culture standing out as an important branch of this forest culture.
"Better to eat without meat than to live without bamboo," a famous saying by the renowned Song Dynasty literary figure Su Dongpo, highlights a unique aspect of Chinese civilization: bamboo, as a distinctive material, has permeated every facet of the material and spiritual life of the Chinese people Bamboo serves as a vital resource in the construction of material civilization, deeply intertwining with and embodying the essence of Chinese culture.
Chinese culture is uniquely characterized by its distinct elements, which contribute to the formation of a rich bamboo civilization This has evolved into a profound and enduring bamboo culture in China, reflecting its deep historical roots and significance.
(2) 竹子是东方文明的象征，代表了中华民族的品格和情操。
Renowned British scholar Joseph Needham, an authority on East Asian civilization, noted in his work "Science and Civilisation in China" that East Asia was historically referred to as "bamboo civilization," with China recognized as the "country of bamboo civilization."
The emergence of bamboo symbols in oracle bone script and the subsequent creation and development of bamboo-related characters reflect a significant aspect of the historical evolution of bamboo civilization in China Renowned bamboo expert Professor Xiong Wenyu has provided a detailed analysis of oracle bone inscriptions related to bamboo.
商 、金文周 、《说文解字》东汉 、《玉篇》梁 、《字汇》
The article discusses the significance of bamboo in Chinese culture, highlighting its representation in major historical dictionaries such as the "Kangxi Dictionary." It emphasizes the close relationship between bamboo and various aspects of ancient Chinese life, including agriculture, transportation, military, arts, music, and daily living Over five thousand years, bamboo has played a vital role in the growth and prosperity of the Chinese nation, illustrating why China is rightly referred to as the "Land of Bamboo Civilization."
As Su Dongpo eloquently stated, bamboo plays an indispensable role in our lives, serving various purposes from food to clothing Notably, bamboo paper, which evolved from the engraved bamboo slips of the Shang Dynasty to the invention of bamboo paper during the Six Dynasties, has been a crucial medium for the dissemination of Chinese culture Bamboo has consistently held significant importance in cultural development, directly and indirectly contributing to the preservation of human knowledge and the formation of the rich and illustrious historical culture of the Chinese nation.
(3) 中国竹文化在中国经济、社会、文化发展中都具有重要作用。
Chinese bamboo culture spans over five thousand years, intricately woven into daily life through clothing, food, housing, and transportation Bamboo, known for its year-round greenery, elegant form, and extensive root system, holds significant economic, ecological, and aesthetic value It plays a unique role in environmental greening and is vital for socio-economic development The evolution of bamboo culture not only meets material needs but also enriches the human spirit, symbolizing character and virtue.
1.2.2 竹文化的内涵与外延
Chinese bamboo culture serves as a vessel for the broader Chinese cultural narrative, encompassing both bamboo cultural landscapes and symbols The material manifestations of this culture include bamboo shoots, writing tools, crafts, musical instruments, dance props, daily utensils, production tools, architecture, and transportation These items reflect cultural significance not through bamboo itself, but through the objects crafted from it and their usage norms, illustrating a humanized nature shaped by the Chinese people to meet specific practical needs—this is the essence of bamboo cultural landscapes In contrast, the representation of "bamboo" in religious texts, literature, painting, and ethical norms directly conveys human emotions, thoughts, ideals, and values, embodying the symbolic aspect of bamboo culture.
(1) 竹文化景观
Bamboo cultural landscapes reflect the essence of Chinese culture, showcasing how the Chinese nation consciously utilizes bamboo to meet various needs such as living, production, writing, and aesthetics These landscapes not only illustrate the psychological tendencies and characteristics of the Chinese people but also indicate the level of cultural evolution within the nation In daily life, bamboo is intricately linked to various aspects, including clothing, food, shelter, transportation, and utilities Notably, bamboo clothing is a significant aspect of this cultural landscape, with historical references dating back to the Qin and Han dynasties, where bamboo was used to create fabrics, crowns, rainproof shoes, and hats, practices that continue to this day.
相关研究综述
1.3.1 在中国的研究情况
Chinese characters, recognized as one of the earliest forms of writing in the world, carry profound cultural significance due to their ideographic nature Their structure closely relates to their meanings, reflecting the Chinese perspective on the world The introduction of Chinese characters has played a crucial role in preserving Chinese history and culture, while also influencing the writing systems of countries such as Japan, Korea, and Vietnam This has garnered significant attention from both Chinese scholars and global linguists, as studying these characters offers insights into Chinese thought processes, lifestyle habits, and cognitive characteristics, thereby enhancing understanding of Chinese culture Key works in the study of Chinese characters include the earliest dictionary, "Erya," and Xu Shen's "Shuowen Jiezi," which systematically outlined the principles of character formation The "Kangxi Dictionary," published in 1716, further categorized characters using radical classification, while the "Zhonghua Dazidian," released in 1915, corrected numerous errors found in the "Kangxi Dictionary." Although there are few specialized studies focusing on specific sections of "Shuowen," notable works like Lei Hanqing's cultural interpretations contribute to the ongoing discourse on ancient Chinese culture.
In his chapter "The Original 'Jade' - A Study of Observational Thinking" from "Chinese Characters and Confucian Thought," Zang Kehe explores the principles of "observational thinking" rooted in traditional Confucianism, using the definitions and classifications from "Shuowen Jiezi: Jade Section" as a foundation This work, along with others in the "Chinese Characters and Culture Series" and "New Perspectives on Chinese Character Studies," compiles over a decade of research on Chinese character culture Most studies in this field connect characters based on their meanings rather than their forms, examining various cultural phenomena, which is the prevailing method for extracting cultural information from Chinese characters.
Since the 1980s, with the rapid development of globalization, Chinese researchers have increasingly focused on the study of the Chinese language and culture to promote the influence of Chinese characters and culture worldwide Numerous authors and works have emerged in the field of Chinese character research, who not only build upon the achievements of their predecessors but also present their own innovative insights Notable figures such as He Jiuying, Hu Shuangbao, and Zhang Meng have made significant contributions, with their persuasive arguments published by Peking University Press.
In 1990, the book "Chinese Characters: A Cultural Overview" was published, followed by "Illustrated Common Chinese Characters" by Xie Guanghui in 1997 from Peking University Press Additionally, Zhou Youguang's "Chinese Characters and Cultural Issues" was released in 2000 by Liaoning People's Publishing House, while Tang Han's two-volume "The Code of Chinese Characters" was published in 2001 by Xue Lin Publishing House and Shuhai Publishing House.
Published in 2003, "Jiezi" is divided into four volumes: "Chinese Characters and Gender Culture," "Chinese Characters and the Sun, Moon, and Earth," "Chinese Characters and the Animal World," and "Chinese Characters and Human Senses." Additionally, the "Xinhua Dictionary," published by the Commercial Press, and the specialized work "Starting from Recognizing Characters" by Xiao Qihong, released by New World Press in 2004, contribute to the exploration of Chinese characters.
In the past decade, the global interest in learning and researching the Chinese language has surged, leading to numerous doctoral and master's theses focusing on specific sections of the "Shuowen," particularly on radicals that encapsulate unique aspects of ancient culture, such as the "female" radical, "heart" radical, and "jade" radical Additionally, some theses explore these topics from multiple perspectives.
This paper continues the momentum of Chinese character culture research while also returning to traditional philological methods that focus on the study of character forms, meanings, and the relationship between form and meaning.
In China, the study of Chinese characters holds significant reference value Whether focusing on ancient characters or modern ones, the achievements gained highlight the uniqueness of Chinese characters as ideographic symbols The interplay between their form, pronunciation, and meaning is closely interconnected.
1.3.2 在越南的研究情况
In Vietnam, Chinese characters were once the official script of the Vietnamese people Our ancestors developed the Nôm script based on the six principles of Chinese characters, leading to a coexistence of both scripts that served the purpose of documenting and creating written works in Vietnam Today, the Institute of Han-Nom Studies houses over ten thousand documents in Chinese and Nôm, highlighting the significant influence of Chinese characters in Vietnam and making it a focal point for scholarly research Since the late 1990s, there has been a surge in academic theses—bachelor's, master's, and doctoral—focused on various aspects of Chinese characters and culture, such as their origins, evolution, and specific character formation methods The libraries at Hanoi University and the Graduate School of Foreign Languages under Hanoi National University contain numerous theses on Chinese characters and their cultural implications, with a notable emphasis on studies examining character combinations featuring specific radicals, such as "女" (female) and "心" (heart).
The article discusses various components of Chinese characters, such as the "人" (person), "玉" (jade), and "水" (water) radicals, as well as research papers focused on Chinese character education Notably, it mentions several master's theses, including Mei Xiang Pei's 2008 study on the semantic analysis of characters with the "女" (woman) radical, and Qiu Xian Huang's 2008 research on the "心" (heart) radical in modern Chinese Additionally, it references Ling Chen's 2008 study on associative characters and Biye Chen's 2011 work on characters featuring specific radicals.
“人”字作为部首的汉字研究》、陈幸原 2011年的《汉字与家庭观念研究》、黎垂
In recent years, significant contributions to the study of Chinese characters have emerged, including master's theses such as "Research on the Character 'Water' as a Radicals" and works by Vietnamese scholars like Dr Pham Duc Hanh, who has published numerous articles since 2005, exploring the cultural implications of Chinese characters His notable publications include studies on the character "An," the concept of humanity in Chinese culture, and the social hierarchy reflected in characters like "Jun," "Chen," and "Min." In 2012, Dr Hanh's book "Chinese Characters: Form and Meaning" was published, analyzing around 100 characters from multiple perspectives, revealing insights into the relationship between form and meaning, as well as the cognitive characteristics and associative thinking of the Han people, thereby enriching the understanding of Chinese character culture.
Despite the lack of research on Chinese characters with "bamboo" as a radical, the significance of bamboo in Chinese culture is particularly intriguing Characters featuring the bamboo radical are rich in meaning and vividly reflect the unique characteristics of traditional Chinese culture As a Chinese language teacher currently pursuing advanced studies in the field, I find this topic both fascinating and essential for understanding cultural nuances.
As a master's student, I have a strong interest in Chinese characters and their cultural significance Despite the increasing number of papers published on this topic in recent years, I believe there is still ample room for further research on Chinese characters Therefore, I intend to focus my studies on this area.
The research topic "Study of Chinese Characters with 'Bamboo' as a Radical" aims to contribute to the learning and study of the Chinese language in Vietnam, particularly enhancing my own Chinese teaching efforts.
1 汉字字体的演变不仅体现出汉字的悠远历史，还令世人发现各个朝代的 变迁和鼎盛。例如小篆，小篆是秦始皇统一六国之后的一种通用字体。在春秋战 国时代，各国出现了“文字异体”的局面。秦始皇统一六国后，以便他的统治，下 令丞相李斯把不同的文字整理统一为小篆。