Do the Chinese use symbols instead of words?

That's not quite accurate. Chinese writing uses characters, which are visual symbols that represent words or morphemes (meaningful parts of words).

Here's why it's not the same as using symbols instead of words:

* Characters have meaning: While a symbol might be purely abstract, Chinese characters are designed to represent concepts or ideas, often with visual clues to their meaning. For example, the character for "sun" (日) looks like a stylized sun.

* Characters can be complex: Unlike simple symbols, Chinese characters can be very complex, combining different strokes and elements to form a single unit.

* Characters function like words: While some characters are one-to-one with words, others can function as syllables or morphemes, combining to form more complex words.

So, Chinese doesn't use symbols instead of words. It uses characters, which are visual representations of words and their components. It's a unique system of writing with its own complexities and beauty.