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⇄後后 (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.

1 to 2

板⇄板闆　 辟⇄辟闢　 表⇄表錶　 别⇄別彆　 卜⇄卜蔔　 布⇄布佈　 才⇄才纔　 彩⇄彩綵　 虫⇄虫蟲　 丑⇄丑醜　 出⇄出齣　 粗⇄粗麤　 村⇄村邨　 当⇄當噹　 党⇄黨党　 淀⇄澱淀　 吊⇄弔吊　 冬⇄冬鼕　 发⇄發髮　 范⇄范範　 丰⇄豐丰　 谷⇄谷穀　 雇⇄雇僱　 刮⇄刮颳　 广⇄廣广　 哄⇄哄鬨　 后⇄後后　 获⇄獲穫　 几⇄幾几　 机⇄機机　 饥⇄飢饑　 奸⇄奸姦　 姜⇄姜薑　 借⇄借藉　 卷⇄捲卷　 克⇄克剋　 困⇄困睏　 夸⇄夸誇　 罗⇄羅囉　 累⇄累纍　 厘⇄厘釐　 漓⇄漓灕　 梁⇄梁樑　 了⇄了瞭　 霉⇄霉黴　 弥⇄彌瀰　 蔑⇄蔑衊　 么⇄么麼　 麽⇄麽麼　 苹⇄蘋苹　 仆⇄僕仆　 铺⇄鋪舖　 朴⇄朴樸　 签⇄簽籤　 舍⇄舍捨　 沈⇄沈瀋　 胜⇄勝胜　 术⇄術朮　 松⇄松鬆　 他⇄他祂　 叹⇄嘆歎　 坛⇄壇罈　 你⇄你妳　 体⇄體体　 同⇄同衕　 涂⇄涂塗　 团⇄團糰　 喂⇄喂餵　 为⇄為爲　 纤⇄纖縴　 咸⇄鹹咸　 弦⇄弦絃　 绣⇄綉繡　 须⇄須鬚　 熏⇄熏燻　 腌⇄醃腌　 叶⇄葉叶　 佣⇄傭佣　 涌⇄湧涌　 游⇄游遊　 于⇄於于　 余⇄余餘　 吁⇄籲吁　 郁⇄郁鬱　 欲⇄欲慾　 御⇄御禦　 愿⇄願愿　 岳⇄岳嶽　 云⇄雲云　 赞⇄贊讚　 脏⇄臟髒　 扎⇄扎紮　 占⇄占佔　 折⇄折摺　 证⇄證証　 志⇄志誌　 制⇄制製　 致⇄致緻　 钟⇄鍾鐘　 种⇄種种　 周⇄周週　 注⇄註注　 准⇄準准　 冢⇄塚冢　 庄⇄庄莊　 涩⇄澀澁　 蚕⇄蠶蚕　 忏⇄懺忏　 吨⇄噸吨　 赶⇄趕赶　 构⇄構构　 柜⇄櫃柜　 怀⇄懷怀　 坏⇄壞坏　 极⇄極极　 茧⇄繭茧　 家⇄家傢　 价⇄價价　 洁⇄潔洁　 惊⇄驚惊　 腊⇄臘腊　 蜡⇄蠟蜡　 帘⇄簾帘　 怜⇄憐怜　 岭⇄嶺岭　 扑⇄撲扑　 秋⇄秋鞦　 千⇄千韆　 确⇄確确　 扰⇄擾扰　 洒⇄灑洒　 晒⇄曬晒　 适⇄適适　 听⇄聽听　 洼⇄窪洼　 网⇄網网　 旋⇄旋鏇　 踊⇄踴踊　 优⇄優优　 症⇄症癥　 朱⇄朱硃　 荐⇄薦荐　 离⇄離离　 卤⇄鹵滷　 气⇄氣气　 圣⇄聖圣　 万⇄萬万　 与⇄與与　 摆⇄擺襬　 虮⇄蟣虮　 篱⇄籬篱　 宁⇄寧宁　 泞⇄濘泞　 恶⇄惡噁　 托⇄托託　 咽⇄嚥咽　 线⇄線綫　 咨⇄咨諮　 荡⇄蕩盪　 亘⇄亘亙　 仑⇄侖崙　 体⇄体體　 趟⇄趟蹚　 杯⇄杯盃　 斗⇄斗鬥　 曲⇄曲麯　 苏⇄蘇囌　 胡⇄胡鬍　 划⇄划劃　 回⇄回迴　 汇⇄匯彙　 里⇄里裏　 历⇄歷曆　 向⇄向嚮　 冲⇄冲衝　 尽⇄盡儘　 面⇄面麵　 复⇄復複　 据⇄据據

1 to 3

系⇄系係繫　 只⇄只衹隻　

1 to 4

蒙⇄蒙懞濛矇　 台⇄台檯臺颱　

2 to 1

著⇄著着　 藉⇄藉 借(jí jiè)　 瞭⇄瞭 了(liào liǎo)　 麽⇄麽 么(mó me)　 蘋⇄苹𬞟　

Special cases

• 寧⇄宁, 宁⇄㝉:
• 薴⇄苧, 苧⇄苎: 薴 níng (limonene) is simplified to 苧 which is the traditional character for zhù (boehmeria) that in turn is simplified to 苎.
• 甚⇄甚什, 什⇄甚什: 甚 shèn (extremely, exceed) and 什 shí (ten, various) are the same in both simplified and traditional, while shén (what) is written 甚 in traditional and 什 in simplified (and also as a variant in traditional).
• 徵⇄徵征, 征⇄徵征: 徵 zhǐ (a musical note) and 征 zhēng (journey, campaign) are the same in both simplified and traditional. However, another zhēng (punish, seek, characteristic, levy) is written 徵 in traditional and 征 in simplified.
• 夥⇄夥伙, 伙⇄夥伙: A similar, but not entirely comparable situation is 夥 and 伙, both pronounced huǒ. The literary meaning "many, much" is written 夥 in both sets, and the meaning "meals" is written 伙 in both sets, but the meaning "partner, group, combine" generally prefers 夥 for traditional and 伙 for simplified, although as there is some overlap with the other meanings, the character choice is less strict.
• 乾⇄乾干, 干⇄乾干幹:

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