Guide: How to Write Chinese Characters Correctly

Objective

A comprehensive tutorial note on writing Chinese characters, focusing on stroke order, practical tips, and handwriting shortcuts, addressing both beginners and experienced learners.

Why Learn Proper Stroke Order?

• Handwriting develops muscle memory, greatly helping retention and character recall.
• Proper stroke order => more efficient and natural handwriting, trusted by native speakers for thousands of years.
• Essential for using digital tools/dictionaries (e.g., Pleco) — correct stroke order increases character recognition accuracy.
• Handwriting allows for journaling and note-taking in Chinese, increasing output practice and enjoyment.
• Recognizing handwriting: Understanding stroke order helps you also read native Chinese handwriting (often very different from print).
• Emotional/Motivational reasons: You’ll feel cool, respect the culture, and the process is quick and rewarding.

Six Basic Chinese Strokes

All Chinese characters are built from these fundamental strokes, demonstrated by the character 永 (yǒng, “eternity”):

1. 横 (héng): Horizontal stroke (left to right)
2. 竖 (shù): Vertical stroke (top to bottom)
3. 提 (tí): Upward stroke (bottom left to top right)
4. 撇 (piě): Diagonal left-falling (top right to bottom left)
5. 捺 (nà): Diagonal right-falling (top left to bottom right)
6. 点 (diǎn): Dot (small dash or dot, usually top left to bottom right or reverse)

Combining strokes:

• 折 (zhé): Bend (90° angle)
• 钩 (gōu): Hook
• 弯 (wān): Curve
• 斜 (xié): Slant (not a bend, just a slant)

12 Stroke Order Rules

Goal: Legible characters by following established conventions. Not calligraphy, but clear writing.

1. Top to Bottom

• Write strokes/components from the top before those at the bottom.
• Ex: 二 (èr, “two”), 工 (gōng, “work”), 全 (quán, “all”)

2. Left to Right

• Write strokes on the left before those on the right.
• Ex: 人 (rén, “person”), 比 (bǐ, particle), 校 (xiào, “school”)

3. Horizontal Before Vertical

• Horizontal lines are written before intersecting vertical lines.
• Ex: 十 (shí, “ten”), 大 (dà, “big”), 干 (gān/‘do’)

4. Diagonals: Right to Left Before Left to Right

• Diagonal strokes from top right to bottom left come before the other direction.
• Ex: 文 (wén, “language”), 戈 (gē, component), 又 (yòu, “again”)

5. Left Vertical Before Enclosing

• For box-like enclosures, left vertical line comes first.
• Ex: 日 (rì, “day”), 四 (sì, “four”)

6. Outside Before Inside (for top/side enclosures)

• Write the enclosure first, then fill in content.
• Ex: 月 (yuè, “month”), 同 (tóng, “same”)

7. Inside Before Outside (for bottom enclosures)

• Do internal strokes/components first, then the bottom enclosing stroke.
• Ex: 凶 (xiōng, “fierce”), 道 (dào, “way”)

8. Enclose, Then Fill, Then Close

• For full enclosures like boxes, finish the content, then close the box.
• Ex: 回 (huí, “return”), 国 (guó, “country”), 田 (tián, “field”)

9. Center Verticals Before “Wings”

• Write the central vertical/main stroke before symmetrical “wings” on either side.
• Ex: 小 (xiǎo, “small”), 水 (shuǐ, “water”)

10. Cutting Stroke Last

• Any stroke that bisects the character (usually horizontal) is written last.
• Ex: 中 (zhōng, “middle”), 羊 (yáng, “sheep”), 半 (bàn, “half”)

11. Top/Upper Left Dots First

• Dots at the top or upper left come before other strokes.
• Ex: 为/為 (wèi, “for”), 门 (mén, “door”), 衣 (yī, “clothing”)

12. Inside/Upper Right Dots Last

• Dots inside enclosures or at the upper right come last.
• Ex: 我 (wǒ, “I/me”), 瓦 (wǎ, “tile”), 玉 (yù, “jade”)

Practical Handwriting Tricks (For Speed & Deciphering Native Handwriting)

• Boxes: Instead of drawing three/four separate lines, natives often join lines into a single “1, 2” motion, even with one stroke.
• Partial Boxes/Components: Similar simplification applies—e.g. writing “h” style for common enclosures/components.
• Three Dots 水 (water radical): Frequently squiggled together with one or two lines instead of three distinct dabs.
• Tree 木 radical: Instead of individual strokes, use a single flicking motion to save time.
• Horizontal strokes: Chain multiple short horizontals with one movement when possible.
• Dots: Sometimes join two dots with a small zigzag line.
• Small Vertical/Diagonal Clusters: Write as a quick “Z” or “squiggle.”
• Small 小 (xiǎo): Instead of three strokes, sometimes written as two quick slashes.
• Enclosures with internal detail: Simplify by joining enclosing lines with inner strokes.
• The “Have” 有 radical: Write main curved stroke and “wrap” easily in one movement.

These tricks increase speed and legibility when written by hand and make it easier to read others’ handwriting.

Additional Resources

• Recommended Techniques: Memory palace methods for character retention (avoid rote repetition; write 1-2 times only).
• Video Tutorials and Courses: Memory Palace, Mandarin Blueprint.
• Respect the Culture: Understanding both form and function is a sign of respect and helps you integrate into the language community.

Final Encouragement

• You don’t need to write beautifully, just legibly with proper stroke order.
• Practice a few times, use memory techniques, and stroke order rules to reach functional literacy and boost your confidence.
• Master the rules—enjoy the shortcuts!

(For further study, see linked courses and resources in the video description.)