Semantically, there is no difference<\/em> between these two characters. They both represent the tái<\/em> in Taipei<\/em>\/Taibei<\/em> and Taiwan<\/em>. But the 台 form is more common in Taiwan, where it is seen as a variant form and thus not as one of the “simplified” characters used in China.<\/p>\n So why is the MRT’s new airport line using a huge “臺” on its signs when a normal “台” would do just as well? In fact, the regular 台 form is found six times on the same sign<\/em>, with the fourteen-stroke “臺” seen just once. <\/p>\n To show that this isn’t just a one-off, I’m providing photos of a few more signs in a station along the “purple” (airport) line. <\/p>\n So, in the first sign alone, we have: <\/p>\n I blame Ma Ying-jeou<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Taipei’s MRT system, wonderful though it is, continues to find new ways to irritate me. Today I present the case of 台 vs. 臺 Semantically, there is no difference between these two characters. They both represent the tái in Taipei\/Taibei … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pinyin.info\/news\/news_photos\/2017\/03\/chinese_character_tai.jpg\")
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