The　cerebral　cortex　is　the　main　target　of　analysis　in　many　functional　magnetic　resonance　imaging　(fMRI)　studies;　statistical　analysis　can　be　restricted　to　the　subset　of　the　voxels　obtained　after　cortex　segmentation.　We　used　a　event-related　design　and　contrasted　the　cognitive　processing　of　Chinese　character　and　figure　in　left　Brodmann　areas　44　and　45,　which　constitute　Broca＇s　region,　in　Chinese-speaking　individual.　Participants　carried　out　a　visual　judgments　task　on　a　list　of　randomly　intermixed　Chinese　characters　and　figure.　The　fMRI　data　were　mapped　directly　onto　cortical　surface　models.　Processing　of　Chinese　characters　and　figure　judgments　activated　a　comparable　network　of　brain　regions.　In　Broca＇s　area,　the　Chinese　character　judgment　task　is　also　similar　but　more　activations　than　figure　judgment　task.　The　result　confirms　a　popular　view　that　this　area　plays　a　role　in　grapheme-to-phoneme　conversion.　©　2010　IEEE.