Typing Simplified Chinese with Cangjie: Codes for 讠, 纟, 钅 and More
How Simplified character forms decompose in Cangjie, why their codes differ from their Traditional counterparts, and the simplified radicals to learn.
Key takeaways
- Cangjie tables include Simplified characters, so you can type Simplified Chinese with Cangjie.
- A Simplified character is coded by its own shape, so its code usually differs from the Traditional form: 學 is HBND, 学 is FBND.
- Learn the simplified radicals: 讠 IV, 纟 VM, 钅 OP in compounds.
- If you mostly write Simplified Chinese, a sound-based method or a converter may suit you better.
Same system, different shapes
Cangjie codes describe shapes, so a simplified form with different strokes gets a different code. Sometimes only the top changes, and sometimes the whole character.
| Traditional | Code | Simplified | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 學 | HBND |
学 | FBND |
| 說 | YRCRU |
说 | IVCRU |
| 國 | WIRM |
国 | WMGI |
| 們 | OAN |
们 | OLIS |
| 這 | YYMR |
这 | YYK |
| 車 | JWJ |
车 | KQ |
| 見 | BUHU |
见 | BHU |
| 長 | SMV |
长 | PO |
| 東 | DW |
东 | KD |
In 學 → 学, the three-part top becomes ⺍, which Cangjie reads as F (like ⺌), so HBND becomes FBND. In 說 → 说, the speech radical changes from 言 (YR) to 讠 (IV).
Simplified radicals to learn
| Radical | In compounds | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 讠 speech | IV | 说 IVCRU戈女金口山 语 IVMMR戈女一一口 话 IVHJR戈女竹十口 |
| 纟 silk | VM | 红 VMM女一一 |
| 钅 metal | OP | 钱 OPIJ人心戈十 |
| 门 gate | LIS as a character | 们 OLIS人中戈尸 |
Should you use Cangjie for Simplified Chinese?
If you mostly read and write Traditional Chinese and occasionally need Simplified, Cangjie works. You can also type in Traditional and convert with the Traditional ↔ Simplified converter, which is often faster. If most of your writing is Simplified, Pinyin is the conventional choice. See the input method comparison.
Related guides
Traditional vs Simplified
Where Simplified characters came from, the six main ways characters were simplified, who uses each script, and the one-to-many traps that break automatic conversion.
24 radicals & auxiliary shapes
Every Cangjie key, the family of look-alike shapes it covers, and real characters that show each shape in use.
Cangjie vs other input methods
An honest comparison of the main ways to type Chinese: shape-based Cangjie and Quick, sound-based Pinyin, Zhuyin and Jyutping, and handwriting and voice.
Cangjie 3 vs Cangjie 5
Why the same character can have two Cangjie codes, the systematic changes between the third and fifth generations, and a table of common characters that differ.