Description

Simplified Chinese is a standardized writing system of modern Chinese, as opposed to Traditional Chinese (also known as Orthodox Chinese). Simplified Chinese primarily consists of inherited characters and simplified characters introduced by the Chinese government in Mainland China starting in the 1950s. Currently, Simplified Chinese is used mainly in Mainland China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Chinese communities in several Southeast Asian countries. In the past, both Simplified and Traditional Chinese coexisted in United Nations documents. However, after the People's Republic of China replaced the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the UN in 1971, Simplified Chinese became one of the six official languages of the United Nations.

Besides differences in character forms (such as between simplified and traditional characters, as well as regional writing standards), Simplified and Traditional Chinese are also generally considered to have lexical differences. For example, "原子笔" (yUánzǐbǐ) commonly used in Traditional Chinese is referred to as "圆珠笔" (yuánzhūbǐ) in Simplified Chinese; "史达林" (Shǐdálín) in Traditional Chinese is called "斯大林" (Sīdàlín) in Simplified Chinese; "北韩" (Běihán) in Traditional Chinese is referred to as "朝鲜" (Cháoxiǎn) in Simplified Chinese; and "雪梨" (Xuělí) in Traditional Chinese is called "悉尼" (Xīní) in Simplified Chinese. Due to these differences, the term "Simplified Chinese usage" has emerged. However, this is not actually a difference between Simplified and Traditional Chinese per se, but rather a result of the lack of exchange between users of the two systems—particularly between Mainland China and Taiwan—due to political separation in the mid-20th century, which led to divergent word usage habits. This phenomenon has become more pronounced since the 1980s due to differences in technical terminology. Moreover, even among regions using Simplified Chinese, such as Mainland China and Singapore, there are also some differences in word usage. Therefore, some have pointed out that the more accurate terms should be "Mainland Chinese usage," "Singaporean usage," and so on, rather than "Simplified Chinese usage."