Ambiguities in Chinese character simplification

A number of Chinese characters are simplified-traditional multipairings (简繁一对多; 簡繁一對多), which do not have a one-to-one mapping between their simplified and traditional forms.

This is usually because the simplification process merged two or more distinct characters into one. In most cases, these traditional characters are homonyms, having the same pronunciation but different meanings. As a result, converting text from simplified to traditional characters is difficult to automate, especially in the case of common characters such as 后⇄后後 (behind, empress), 表⇄表錶 (table, clock), 奸⇄奸姦 (traitor, rape) and more.

In a smaller number of cases, a single traditional character is mapped to multiple simplified characters as the character is only simplified in one of its usages.

The following is an exhaustive list of all characters whose simplified and traditional forms do not map in a one-to-one manner. Simplified characters are marked with a pink background, and traditional characters with lavender.

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万⇄万萬　 丑⇄丑醜　 丰⇄丰豐　 于⇄于於　 云⇄云雲　 仆⇄仆僕　 余⇄余餘　 克⇄克剋　 党⇄党黨　 冬⇄冬鼕　 冲⇄沖衝　 准⇄准準　 几⇄几幾　 出⇄出齣　 划⇄划劃　 别⇄别彆　 刮⇄刮颳　 制⇄制製　 千⇄千韆　 卜⇄卜蔔　 卤⇄鹵滷　 卷⇄卷捲　 历⇄歷曆　 发⇄發髮　 只⇄衹隻　 叶⇄叶葉　 吁⇄吁籲　 合⇄合閤　 吊⇄吊弔　 同⇄同衕　 后⇄后後　 向⇄向嚮　 周⇄周週　 咸⇄咸鹹　 咽⇄咽嚥　 哄⇄哄鬨　 喂⇄喂餵　 回⇄回迴　 团⇄團糰　 困⇄困睏　 坛⇄壇罈　 坝⇄垻壩　 复⇄復複　 夸⇄夸誇　 奸⇄奸姦　 姜⇄姜薑　 家⇄家傢　 尽⇄盡儘　 岳⇄岳嶽　 布⇄布佈　 帘⇄帘簾　 弥⇄彌瀰　 当⇄當噹　 征⇄征徵　 御⇄御禦　 志⇄志誌　 恶⇄惡噁　 愿⇄愿願　 才⇄才纔　 扎⇄扎紮　 托⇄托託　 折⇄折摺　 据⇄据據　 摆⇄擺襬　 斗⇄斗鬥　 旋⇄旋鏇　 曲⇄曲麯　 术⇄术術　 朱⇄朱硃　 朴⇄朴樸　 松⇄松鬆　 板⇄板闆　 汇⇄匯彙　 沈⇄沈瀋　 注⇄注註　 涂⇄涂塗　 淀⇄淀澱　 游⇄游遊　 漓⇄漓灕　 症⇄症癥　 秋⇄秋鞦　 种⇄种種　 筑⇄筑築　 签⇄簽籤　 篱⇄篱籬　 累⇄累纍　 纤⇄縴纖　 胡⇄胡鬍　 脏⇄臟髒　 致⇄致緻　 舍⇄舍捨　 芸⇄芸蕓　 苏⇄蘇囌　 范⇄范範　 获⇄獲穫　 蔑⇄蔑衊　 表⇄表錶　 谷⇄谷穀　 赞⇄贊讚　 辟⇄辟闢　 郁⇄郁鬱　 里⇄里裏　 钟⇄鍾鐘　 面⇄面麵　 须⇄須鬚　 饥⇄飢饑　

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干⇄干乾幹　 系⇄系係繫　

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台⇄台檯臺颱　 蒙⇄蒙懞濛矇　

2 to 1

著⇄著着　

Special cases

• 寧⇄宁, 宁⇄㝉: 宁 is both the simplified character for níng (peaceful, traditional: 寧) and traditional character for zhù (to store, simplified: 㝉).
• 薴⇄苧, 苧⇄苎: 苧 is both the simplified character for níng (limonene, traditional: 薴) and traditional character for zhù (boehmeria, simplified: 苎).
• 瞭⇄瞭了, 了⇄了瞭:
  • le (completed action marker) is written 了 in both simplified and traditional.
  • liào (to watch from a height or distance) is written 瞭 in both simplified and traditional.
  • liǎo (bright, understand) is written 了 in simplified and 瞭 in traditional.
• 甚⇄甚什, 什⇄什甚:
  • shí (ten, miscellaneous) is written 什 in both simplified and traditional.
  • shèn (extremely, exceed) is written 甚 in both simplified and traditional.
  • shén (what) is written 什 in simplified and 什 or 甚 in traditional.
• 夥⇄夥伙, 伙⇄伙夥:
  • huǒ (meals) is written 伙 in both simplified and traditional.
  • huǒ (many) is written 夥 in both simplified and traditional.
  • huǒ (partner, combine) is written 伙 in simplified and 夥 in traditional.
• 藉⇄藉借, 借⇄借藉:
  • jí written 藉 in both simplified and traditional.
  • jiè written 藉 in both simplified and traditional.
  • jiè written 借 in both simplified and traditional.
  • jiè written 借 in simplified and 藉 in traditional.
• 麼⇄么麽, 么⇄幺麼:
  • yāo is written 幺 (variant: 么) in both simplified and traditional.
  • mó is written 麼 (variant: 麽) in both simplified and traditional.
  • me is written 么 in simplified and 麼 in traditional.

References

• 現代漢語常用簡繁一對多字義辨析表 (Identification chart for common Simplified Chinese characters with multiple Traditional equivalents) - 韻典網 ytenx.org

External links

• Simplified to Traditional Chinese Conversion Table