Learn Chinese Characters
This is the first of five free lessons about Chinese characters' strokes.
What Are Strokes?
Every Chinese character is composed by lines called strokes.
A stroke is a mark traced by a single movement of the pen. Writing each stroke (simple or complex), from its beginning to its end, you need not lift your pen from the paper.
It's important also to respect the direction of each stroke. For example, you cannot draw the horizontal stroke (see below) from right to left, but from left to right.
A Chinese character might be composed by only one or even by more than thirty strokes.
In the following table you see the shape of all simple strokes with their name, writing direction and some example characters containing them.
(and direction)
(downwards a bit to the right)
(and direction)
(downwards a bit to the left)
(and direction)
(falling from left to rigth)
(and direction)
(left to right)
(and direction)
(downwards)
(and direction)
(falling from right to left)
(and direction)
(falling slightly from right to left)
(and direction)
(downwards slightly to the left)
(and direction)
(falling from left to right)
(and direction)
(falling slightly from left to right)
(and direction)
(upwards from left to right)
(and direction)
(from left to right plus downwards hook)
(and direction)
(downwards plus rising hook to the left)
(and direction)
(downwards plus rising hook to the left)
(and direction)
(downwards plus upwards hook)
(and direction)
(falling from left to right plus upwards hook)
Click here for lesson 2 on Chinese characters' strokes.
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See also:
Learn Chinese Conversation Lesson 2
Learn Chinese Conversation Lesson 3
Learn Chinese Conversation Lesson 4
Learn Chinese Conversation Lesson 5
Learn Chinese Characters
Learn Chinese Characters Lesson 2
Learn Chinese Characters Lesson 3
Learn Chinese Characters Lesson 4
Learn Chinese Characters Lesson 5
Learn Chinese Grammar Lesson 2
Learn Chinese Grammar Lesson 3
Learn Chinese Grammar Lesson 4