Re:Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. (Score 0)

Eh ... you are correct that learning the language just takes repetition, but there is quite a lot of both rhyme and reason behind the characters and how they come together. One of the six classifications of characters is indeed based on the sound of the character (homonyms with different radicals)

The radicals and characters fit together, and have evolved over time like any language. The best book that covers all of this, and traces the evolution of character components to the modern set is covered in CHINESE CHARACTERS, Their Origin, Etymology, History, Classification and Signification by Dr. L. Wieger, S.J. (http://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Characters-Dover-books-language/dp/0486213218). A true understanding of the Chinese language requires understanding how the language came to be what it is today, and is a lesson in both Chinese culture and Chinese history at the same time. I hope you all enjoy your adventures into the language as much as I did back when I started.

I started studying Chinese in 1996, and the book above is still one of my favorites for understanding the structure behind the language that all native Chinese just know.