汉字

汉字 are written symbols, so they go with verbs like 写, 认, and 读. 中文 is the language as a whole, so it goes with 说 or 讲. English says 'speak Chinese,' but that maps to 说中文, never 说汉字. If you mean read a character aloud, say 读汉字 or 念汉字.

汉字 are the written characters themselves. 中文 is the Chinese language as a whole, spoken or written. 汉语 often means the spoken language, especially in school or formal settings. You 说中文 or 说汉语, but you 写汉字. A message can be full of 汉字 and still have no sound. “五星大饭店， 中国和中文， 汉语和韩语， 汉字和汉子。” (A five-star grand hotel; China and Chinese; the Chinese language and the Korean language; Chinese characters and 'hanzi' (a colloquial word for man).) ── [《三星在哪里？》](/read/where-is-samsung#s4)