noun
Chinese characters; hanzi; kanji
Dated and potentially sensitive term for Chinese characters. Modern Japanese normally uses 漢字 (kanji) or 中国の文字. The word 支那 is now considered offensive by many Chinese speakers.
戦前の文献では「支那文字」という表現が見られる。
The expression 支那文字 can be found in pre-war documents.
現代では「支那文字」という言い方は避けられる。
Nowadays the term 支那文字 is avoided.
Compound of 支那 (Shina, an old name for China, now considered offensive) and 文字 (moji, 'characters'). The term reflects pre-war usage and is now dated.