Re: Stroke encoding?

[Jacques Guy <jguy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

28/02/02 12:16:37, "Gabriel Landini" <G.Landini@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>No, I was thinking of the kanji itself.

>For example Japanese "small" (ko)

same as Chinese xiao3

> is a vertical stroke, 

ended with a hook.

>then you have to go up half the way, then left, 
>short stroke to down-left, then go right and short stroke down-right.

If you tell me: "suh4-gou3, dian3, dian3, the end"

I know that it can only be "ko" (or xiao3), because no other
character is composed of those strokes.

One puzzle I was given to solve by a Chinese friend is this:


 ' '    ' ' '   ' ' 

with this hint: "this is a danger warning".

I solved it.

It is "xiao3 xin1 huo3" with all the strokes deleted
except the dian3 (dots)

>The direction and length of the stroke is not enough you need a logo-like 
command "move-to" as well.

>And we need a "move-to" as well.

No, definitely not. Take the character for "metal":

pie3, na4, heng2, heng2, shu4, dian3, dian3, heng2

By the time I reach pie3, na4, I know that that can
possibly be only ren2 (hito) or ru4 (hairu) 
(which are very similar). These cannot occur on 
the left side, so what follows must be below. 
Heng2, heng2, two horizontal strokes must be 
one above the other. By now I know what to
expect, another heng2, or a vertical stroke (shu4)
going through. When you can write Chinese fluently,
you can see the strokes in your mind's eye and,
quite unconsciously, rule out the impossible 
combination at every new stroke. Just like
a chess player who can see impossible patterns
on the board without having to think.