Xin Zixing

The xin zixing (Chinese: 新字形; pinyin: xīn zìxíng; literally: "New character forms") is a standardized form of Chinese characters set in mainland China.

Characteristics

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The xin zixing has adopted various vulgar variants of its characters.^[1] For example:

• 群 The orthodox form of this character has 君 above 羊, i.e. 羣.
• 峰 The orthodox form of this character has 山 above 夆, i.e. 峯.
• 令 The orthodox form of this character has 亼 above 卩, i.e. 令.
• 青
• 幾 The orthodox form of this character is 幾.
• 卬 The orthodox form of this character is 卭 (3 strokes become 2 strokes).
• 印 The orthodox form of this character is 印 (4 strokes become 3 strokes).
• 熙 The orthodox form of this character is 煕.

But it still adopts some relatively orthodox variants, compare with the Taiwan and Hong Kong standards:

• 爲 the vulgar form of this character is 為 and the orthodox form of this character is 爲 with the second and fourth strokes pointing out.

Standards

• List of character forms of General Used Chinese characters for Publishing (1965) (Chinese: 印刷通用汉字表; pinyin: Yìnshuà Tōngyòng Hànzìbiǎo) is the first version of xin zixing.^[1]
• List of General Used Characters in Modern Chinese (1988) defines the amount of Chinese characters that should be used and the difference between Simplified and Traditional Chinese. The second version of xin zixing is defined in the appendix of Xiandai Hanyu Tongyong Zibiao and Xiandai Hanyu Changyong Zibiao.
• List of Generally Used Standardized Chinese characters (2013) (Chinese: 通用规范汉字表; pinyin: Tōngyòng Guīfàn Hànzìbiǎo)^[2] defines the amount of Chinese characters that should be used and the difference between Simplified and Traditional Chinese. The third version of xin zixing is defined in the appendix of List of Generally Used Standardized Chinese characters.

References

1. 印刷通用汉字字形表 (List of character forms of General Used Chinese characters for Publishing) (in Chinese). 文字改革出版社. 1986.
2. 通用规范汉字表