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Basic Rules To Write Chinese Characters

1) There are eight basic stroke types used in Chinese characters, classified according to their names and appearance in the character "eternally". 2) There are general rules for stroke order when writing characters, such as writing top strokes before bottom and left before right. 3) Additional subordinate rules further specify stroke order when two rules conflict, such as writing left vertical strokes before top horizontal strokes.

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260 views

Basic Rules To Write Chinese Characters

1) There are eight basic stroke types used in Chinese characters, classified according to their names and appearance in the character "eternally". 2) There are general rules for stroke order when writing characters, such as writing top strokes before bottom and left before right. 3) Additional subordinate rules further specify stroke order when two rules conflict, such as writing left vertical strokes before top horizontal strokes.

Uploaded by

Ngehsa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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How to write Chinese characters

Stroke Types
Strokes are traditionally classified into eight basic forms, each appearing in the
character "eternally" and listed below according to their contemporary names.
Though somewhat arbitrary, this system has remained popular for nearly two
millenia.

1. "Dian" - A simple dot.

2. "Heng" - Horizontal stroke, left to right.

3. "Shu" - Vertical stroke, top to bottom.

4. "Gou" - Hook appended to other strokes.

5. "Ti" - Diagonal stroke, rising from left to right.

6. "Pie" - Diagonal stroke, falling from right to left.

7. "Duan Pie" - Short diagonal stroke, falling from right to left.

8. "Na" - Horizontal stroke, falling from left to right.

These basic strokes are sometimes combined without the pen leaving the paper. In the above
example of "eternally", strokes 2-3-4 are written as one continuous stroke, as are strokes 5-6.
Hence in dictionaries this character is indexed as having five separate strokes.

Stroke Order
Writing characters in the correct order is essential for the character to look correct. Two basic
rules are followed:
1. Top before bottom

2. Left before right

These rules conflict whenever one stroke is to the bottom and left of another. Several additional
rules resolve many of these conflicts.

3. Left vertical stroke (usually) before top horizontal stroke

4. Bottom horizontal stroke last

5. Center stroke before wings

6. Horizontal strokes before intersecting vertical strokes

7. Left-falling strokes before right-falling srokes

A final rule can contradict the others:

8. Minor strokes (often) last

Despite these conflicts between rules most students quickly acquire a natural feel for the proper
stroke order.

Component Order

Most Chinese characters are combinations of simpler, component characters. Usually the two
parts are written at top and bottom

or left and right

so that the main two stroke order rules readily apply. Occasionally these rules also conflict with
respect to components. When one component is at the bottom-left, and the other at the top-right,
the top-right component is sometimes written first.

When there are several components, top components are written first.

These rules usually imply each component is written in its entirety before another component is
written. Exceptions may arise when one component divides another,

encompasses another,

or the individual components are no longer discernible in modern writing.

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