The idea of writing Chinese characters may seem like the most intimidating thing about learning Chinese when you’re just getting started. I’ve been there, I understand. This article along with the article “Diving into Chinese Characters”, will teach you all the fundamentals you need to get started. If you haven’t read it already, I recommend starting with that one.
As you may recall, characters are made up of strokes. There are some strokes that are more basic, while others are combination of basic strokes. Here are eight basic Chinese strokes and their Chinese names.
Interestingly, these eight strokes are all the components of the character 永 (yǒng) which roughly translates to forever or eternal. Let’s look at how it is written:
Notice that as the character above being written, each stroke is written in a particular order. In fact, every time we write this character this is exactly the order that is followed. This is known simply as Stroke Order.
Why stroke order matters
If you’re learning Chinese characters, you might be wondering if the order you write each stroke really matters. Well, I wasn’t altogether convinced it was at first either, but after learning to write thousands of characters, I must admit that it really does matter. Knowing the proper stroke order can be the key to writing characters correctly and with ease.
Think of stroke order like a map that guides you through the twists and turns of each character. Once you’ve got the map down pat, you’ll find that both writing characters and memorizing characters becomes easier.
So, if you’re serious about mastering Chinese characters, start by mastering stroke order. Trust me, it’s worth it and it’s not very difficult if you understand the basic rules.
Deciphering Chinese stroke order
When writing Chinese characters, there are several rules to follow in order to ensure that they are written correctly.
Rule 1: write strokes from top to bottom. E.g., 商
Rule 2: write horizontal strokes before vertical strokes. E.g.,丰
Rule 3: write strokes that pass through the rest of the character last. This applies to both vertical and horizontal strokes. E.g.,事
Rule 4: write diagonal strokes that go from right to left before diagonal strokes that go from left to right. For example, the character for culture (文) is written with the dot on top, the horizontal line underneath it, then the diagonal stroke that goes from right to left, and finally the diagonal stroke that goes from left to right. E.g.,文
Rule 5: start writing an enclosure by making the left vertical stroke first. E.g.,回
Rule 6: write the portion of the character that is an outside enclosure before the inside portion and close frames last. E.g., 国
Rule 7: write dots last. For example, in the character for jade (玉), the little dot should be written last. E.g., 玉
Rule 8: for vertically symmetrical characters, write the center components those on the sides. Then, write the portion of the character appearing on the left before writing the one on the right. E.g., 乘
Final words
I know that seeing these rules laid out like this might seem intimating, but learning to write Chinese characters is actually a lot of fun. It is not only a way of writing but an art form. In fact, Chinese calligraphy (shūfǎ 书法) is a traditional art form that involves the creation of beautiful and expressive characters using a brush and ink on paper or silk. It is considered one of the highest forms of visual art in Chinese culture and is highly respected for its aesthetic and cultural value. I find that it helps to imagine that you are creating 书法 artwork when learning to write the characters using the correct stroke order. Happy practicing!
Please note that all of the .gif images depicting stroke order found on this page are from the Wikimedia Commons: Stroke Order Project.