What is the difference between Chinese characters and Chinese pinyin?

The main difference between Chinese pinyin and Chinese characters lies in their function and representation:

Function:

Chinese characters: Chinese characters are logograms that represent individual words or concepts in written Chinese. Each character typically corresponds to a syllable or a morpheme, and they are the building blocks of written Chinese text.

Chinese pinyin: Pinyin, on the other hand, is a phonetic transcription system used to represent the pronunciation of Chinese characters using the Latin alphabet. It provides a way for non-native speakers to learn and pronounce Chinese words accurately.

Representation:

Chinese characters: Chinese characters are visual symbols that convey meaning directly. They consist of strokes and are typically written vertically from top to bottom in columns or horizontally from left to right in rows.

Chinese pinyin: Pinyin is a romanization system that uses letters and diacritics from the Latin alphabet to represent the sounds of Mandarin Chinese. It is primarily used as a pronunciation aid and is written horizontally from left to right.

In summary, Chinese characters represent meaning directly and are the foundation of written Chinese, while Chinese pinyin represents pronunciation and serves as a tool for language learning and pronunciation guidance.