Chinese Medical Characters Volume 1 Basic Vocabulary

Learning Chinese may be the single most rewarding investment a student of Chinese medicine can make.

A working knowledge of Chinese provides direct access to more than two thousand years of medical scholarship, allowing students to engage more deeply with the language, concepts, and terminology of traditional Chinese medicine. Rather than relying solely on translated texts, readers develop the ability to recognize, understand, and write the characters that form the foundation of Chinese medical literature.

Chinese Medical Characters: Volume One – Basic Vocabulary is the first book in Nigel Wiseman's acclaimed five-volume series designed specifically for students and practitioners of Chinese medicine.

This volume introduces 100 essential Chinese medical characters, carefully selected for their frequency of use in traditional Chinese medical literature. Each lesson includes:

• Character meaning and English equivalents
• Character composition and etymology
• Historical character development
• Common medical vocabulary combinations
• Stroke order and character formation
• Practice workbook pages for handwriting and reinforcement

In addition to the character lessons, the book includes a thoughtful introduction to written Chinese, covering pronunciation, transcription, writing systems, significs, and the structure of Chinese characters. Together, these foundations provide students with a practical and systematic approach to building Chinese medical vocabulary.

Whether you are studying acupuncture, herbal medicine, or traditional Chinese medicine, this volume offers an accessible pathway toward reading, recognizing, and writing the language that has served Chinese physicians and scholars for centuries.

Ken Rose has studied and practiced traditional Chinese medicine and Taijiquan since 1970. Since 1992 he has studied at the Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese in Sichuan Province in the People's Republic of China, where he has also apprenticed with a number of traditional doctors and teachers. From 1994-1996 he was a visiting faculty member of the Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, specializing in courses and seminars in the translation of Chinese medical terms and texts.