Learn how to read Chinese through emoji – both are image-based forms of communication, after all, say the authors of a guide to ‘hanmoji’

The Hanmoji Handbook by An Xiao Mina, Jennifer 8 Lee and Jason Li introduces a fun way to learn Chinese – by relating it to emoji that we use every day

The idea is that because both ‘convey meaning through images instead of an alphabet’, emoji can be used by learners as stand-ins for Chinese characters

Reading Time:4 minutes

(From left) An Xiao Mina, Jennifer 8 Lee and Jason Li are the authors of The Hanmoji Handbook, which introduces a fun way to learn to read Chinese – using emoji. Photo: Anisha Brady, Sarah Tariq

Published: 4:15pm, 1 Mar 2023Updated: 1:13pm, 14 Dec 2023

Learning a language can be hard work, so why not use emoji to make the process more fun?

That is the idea behind The Hanmoji Handbook, a fascinating method of understanding written and spoken Chinese published by MITeen Press, a young adult imprint of Candlewick Press in collaboration with MIT Press.

Its authors, An Xiao Mina, Jennifer 8 Lee and Jason Li – all based in North America – show readers how Chinese characters form their meaning by relating them to the emoji that we use every day.

Along the way, they explore the histories of the Chinese language and emoji, and inspire an interest in linguistics.

The crux of the idea is that both Chinese writing and emoji are image-based forms of communication, as neither uses an alphabet. “What Chinese writing and emoji have in common is that they both convey meaning through images instead of an alphabet,” write the authors in their introduction.

“Many of these images began as literal depictions of the world, from trees and birds to fire and water. Over time, both writing systems have evolved to suggest more complex concepts, like ‘that’s lit’ or ‘thank you’.”