Department of Asian Languages and Literature

Because of its unique status in the modern world, myths and misunderstandings about Chinese characters abound. Where does this writing system, so different in form and function from alphabetic writing, come from? How does it really work? How did it come to be used to write non-Chinese languages? And why has it proven so resilient? By exploring the spread and adaptation of the script across two millennia and thousands of miles, Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese (University of Washington Press, 2025) by Dr. Zev Handel addresses these questions and provides insights into human cognition and culture. Written in an approachable style and meant for readers with no prior knowledge of Chinese script or Asian languages, it presents a fascinating story that challenges assumptions about speech and writing.

From campus to wherever you call home, we welcome you to learn from and connect with the College of Arts & Sciences community through public events spanning the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. We hope to see you this May. Innovation Month April 30 | An Evening with Christine Sun Kim (Public Lecture)...

"Songs are not mere entertainment if we consider the case of Japan. There, they can be the very essence of life itself," writes Davinder Bhowmik, a UW associate professor of Asian languages and literature.

"Songs are not mere entertainment if we consider the case of Japan. There, they can be the very essence of life itself," writes Davinder Bhowmik, a UW associate professor of Asian languages and literature.

The Year of the Snake begins Jan. 29. Its the first time Lunar New Year is a legislatively recognized (though unpaid) holiday in Washington state, thanks to a bill signed into law last March. Chan L, associate professor of Asian languages and literature at the UW and coordinator of the UW's Chinese program, is quoted.

In the College of Arts & Sciences, we are proud to celebrate our first-generation community through a collection of stories! We honor our faculty and staff, and their many contributions to our university community and beyond.

The College of Arts & Sciences welcomes students and their families to connect with faculty and staff, learn about a variety of topics, and explore our spaces throughout Family Weekend.

Through public events and exhibitions, connect with the UW community every week. This week, attend gallery exhibitions, and more. As the UW community returns to campus, consider taking advantage of campus perks available to UW employees and students: Free admission to the Henry Art Gallery and Burke Museum Discounted tickets to performances by Meany Center,...

Through her love of languages and plants — and some serendipity — UW junior Katie Ruesink connected with a Korean family while studying in Seoul.

From high school to college, interest in learning a language can come from cultural obsessions, to hopes for a career in business, to fascination in personal ancestry. Kaoru Ohta, teaching professor of Asian languages and literature at the UW, is quoted.

Assunta Ng, founder and publisher of Northwest Asian Weekly, has sold the 41-year-old newspaper to a group of Seattle-area investors. Ng, who will continue to advise the partners during the transition as publisher emeritus, said she believes the buyers share the same basic mission she started out with more than 40 years ago. “So I’m excited for them to take over and see what they can achieve,” she said.

In Singapore’s growing microcosm of modern multiculturalism, literary translators bridge people across walks of life. These skilled story-weavers shoulder the responsibility of making our far-reaching roots accessible to readers around the world. Nazry Bahrawi, Assistant Professor of Asian Languages and Literature, is quoted.

Chinese, like the other earliest inventions of writing, emerged in complex societies, where people needed to use symbols for writing. The script started as pictures, but quickly evolved to incorporate other mechanisms capable of indicating abstract concepts and grammatical structures. When Classical (or ancient) Chinese script spread, literate people in other cultures not only mastered it, but they then used it to represent their own distinct spoken languages in written form. Zev Handel, professor and department chair of Asian languages and literature at the UW, is quoted.

"Wabi-sabi is typically described as a traditional Japanese aesthetic: the beauty of something perfectly imperfect, in the sense of 'flawed' or 'unfinished.' Actually, however, wabi and sabi are similar but distinct concepts, yoked together far more often outside Japan than in it," writes Paul Atkins, professor of Asian languages and literature at the UW.

"Asian communities in Washington are changing, and our state’s century-old Asian languages department must change as well. Comparison of the U.S. 2020 Census results with the previous 2010 Census demonstrates that Asian demographics in our state and region are undergoing dramatic changes," writes Zev Handel, professor and department chair of Asian languages and literature at the UW.