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GraphicDifficulty: Medium

Chinese cipher

Vertical lines count the column and horizontal lines count the row of a 5x5 table. The lines cross like a Chinese character.

Try it

27 characters

Result · Chinese cipher

3-4 5-1 3-1 2-4 5-1 4-4 / 3-3 5-1 3-4 3-4 1-1 2-2 5-1 / 1-2 5-3 2-4 / 4-4 3-2 5-1 / 3-1 2-3 5-4 2-1

How it works

  1. 1Write the alphabet row by row into a 5x5 table. Only 25 letters fit, so one letter has to be left out (and Czech CH is written as C and H).
  2. 2Find the column and the row of your letter. For example, L is in column 2 and row 3.
  3. 3Draw as many vertical lines as the column number and as many horizontal lines as the row number. Make them cross and draw them in different lengths so it does not look like a fence.
  4. 4To decode, count the vertical and horizontal lines and look up the cell. Agree on the left-out letter beforehand.

Example

HELLO

Did you know

The Chinese cipher is a table cipher used in Czech scout and camp games, and it appears in scout cipher handbooks there. It has nothing to do with China - it only looks a bit like Chinese characters. Players leave out different letters; the left-out ones are agreed beforehand or written under the message.

Try to decode

This message is encrypted with Chinese cipher using the default settings:

Hint

Use the table without Q. M is in column 3, row 3: three vertical and three horizontal lines.

Show solution

MEET IN THE WOODS

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