In the last week of every year, we will write a blog about the Chinese Character of the year. Do you know these 2023 Chinese Characters? Read more.
The Chinese Character of the Year is like the Person of the Year of TIME magazine. Japan is the first country to choose one Chinese character to indicate the theme of the year. This started in 1995 and became a very popular event in Japan and Asia. Other countries also choose their Chinese character of the year to show the most important thing people think about the year. China started in 2006, Taiwan in 2008, Malaysia and Singapore started in the same year in 2011. Recently, some overseas Chinese communities also started their Chinese Characters of the year, like America, France and others.
Let’s have a look at the Chinese of the year for Japan, China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore now.
Japan Chinese character of the year
This year the Japanese chose 税 to indicate the tax increase in 2023. Tax is the biggest topic in 2023. Japanese people gave their Prime Minister Kishida the nickname “Tax increase eyeglasses”.
税 /shuì/ゼイ・セイ／みつぎ
Tax
China Chinese Character of the Year – International
This is the Chinese character to reflect the international situation. 危 means risk or danger. It indicates the international risk situation. The wars in Gaza and other areas; the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water threaten the safety of marine ecology; and the danger of the AI (ChatGPT).
危 /wēi/
risk, danger
China Chinese Character of the Year – Domestic
This year Chinese people chose “振“ which means “vibration” and “rise with force and spirit”. It reflects the challenges facing the Chinese economy and daily life and the spirit to recover from Covid-19.
振 /zhèn/
Rise with force and spirit,
The China-Taiwan Chinese Character of the Year
Most Chinese people in Tawan think 2023 is a hard year. The long-term shortage of eggs and other foods; the lack of money caused by high inflation; and the lack of safety and confidence.
缺 /quē/
be short of, lack
Malaysia’s Chinese Character of the Year
贵 became the 2023 Chinese characters in Malaysia due to the high inflation in 2023. Everything becomes more expensive.
贵 /guì/
expensive, costly
Singapore’s Chinese Character of the Year
诈 became the 2023 Chinese characters in Singapore because “cheating” and “scams” become big international problems.
诈 /zhà/
cheat, scam
If you compare the 2023 Chinese characters with the 2022 Chinese characters, you will find people are now more concerned about risk, safety and the living cost caused by high inflation in 2022 and 2023.
If you want to know all the past Chinese Characters, please visit here.
If you are interested in learning Mandarin Chinese, please join our 2024 new classes.
You can also purchase a YCT1 Chinese character worksheet to learn how to write Chinese characters step by step.