Chinese
The Chinese Cipher is a simple visual cipher that makes letters look like Chinese characters, even though it is much easier to learn. Each letter is encoded using a combination of vertical and horizontal lines based on its position in a grid.
Just like other grid-based ciphers, the alphabet is arranged in a table with rows and columns. To encode a letter, you locate it in the table and then draw a symbol according to its coordinates.
Limitation is the alphabet does not contain letter: Q
Chinese table for encoding and decoding. Source: Magazin Mensa
Encoding
- Find the letter in the cipher table.
- Count the column number → draw that many vertical lines.
- Count the row number → draw that many horizontal lines.
- Vary the line lengths so the symbol resembles a character rather than a geometric pattern.
- A →
- B →
- C →
- D →
- E →
Decoding
- Count the vertical lines in the symbol → this gives you the column.
- Count the horizontal lines → this gives you the row.
- Look up the letter at that position in the table.
Example
Input: HELLO WORLD
Encoded:
Decoded: HELLO WORLD