Basic strokes Far from being complicated drawings, Chinese characters are made out of simple single strokes, all of them variations of only eight basic ones. All strokes have their own name and are written according to a few rules. It's very important to learn to recognize them, since the number of strokes in a character is often the easiest way to find it in an index... but this will become clear after learning radicals and the use of dictionaries.

1. The following are the first six strokes, the fundamental ones: heng

horizontal stroke (written from left to right)

as in the character yi (one)

as in the character shu

vertical stroke (written from top to bottom) shi (ten)

pie

na

dian

down stroke to the left (written from top right to bottom left)

down stroke to the right (written from top left to bottom right)

dot (written from top to bottom right or left)

as in the character ba (eight) as in the character ru (to enter) as in the character liu (six) as in the character

ti

upward stroke (written from bottom left to top right) ba (to grasp)

2. The last two strokes have several different variations. The first group is composed by five strokes with a hook:

as in the character henggou

horizontal stroke with a hook zi (character)

as in the character shugou

vertical stroke with a hook xiao (small)

as in the character wangou

bending stroke with a hook gou (dog)

as in the character xiegou

slant stroke with a hook wo (I, me)

as in the character pinggou

level bending stroke with a hook wang (to forget)

3. And the following by two single strokes with a turn: as in the character shuzhe

vertical stroke with a horizontal turn to the right

yi (doctor, medicine)

as in the character hengzhe

horizontal stroke with a vertical turn kou (mouth)

4. Combined strokes are made out of basic ones. The following are a few examples:

vertical stroke combined with a level bending stroke with a hook

shuwangou

as in the character ye (also)

down stroke to the left combined with a dot

piedian

as in the character nu (woman)

shuzhezhegou

vertical stroke with a double turn and a hook

as in the character ma (horse)

If a character can be compared to a word in alphabetic languages, then strokes are like letters... learning them is the key to memorize characters. And then, characters don't only need to be correct, they should also be as beautiful and balanced as possible. It is therefore necessary to copy the single strokes many times (be it with a brush or, much easier, with a pen) to memorize their shape and thickness.

Stroke Order Strokes are combined together according to a few fixed rules (and to several exceptions!). Learn these rules, because they're of great help for memorizing characters. They are also fundamental in case you need to recognize the first stroke of a character, but we'll talk about that again.

1. Strokes at the top before those at the bottom. The character

is written this way: san (three)

The character

is written this way: tian (heaven)

2. Strokes to the left before those to the right. The character

is written this way: men (door)

The character

is written this way: hua (to change)

3. Containing strokes before contained ones. The character

is written si (four) this way:

The character

is written yue this way: (moon)

The sealing horizontal stroke must be written last ("close the door after you have entered the room")

But: 

When there aren't enclosing strokes at the top of the character, enclosed strokes are written first:

The character

zhe (this)

is written this way:

4. Vertical stroke in the middle before those on both sides or at the bottom. The character

is written this way: shui (water)

The character

is written this way: shan (mountain)

But:



If it crosses other strokes the vertical stroke in the middle should be written last:

The character

is written this way: zhong (middle)

The fundamental rules - from top to bottom and from left to right - are easily understandable, since they are used in Western writings, too. The others on the contrary need a few exercise. Be sure to learn from the beginning the correct way each different character should be written; otherwise you may find yourself repeating the same mistakes over and over without realizing it, especially when you'll know hundreds of characters.

Radicals All characters contain a particular component called "radical" or "side". These elements were once characters themselves, but some are no longer recognizable as such. Learning the radicals helps to categorize and memorize characters; the presence of a certain radical can even suggest the meaning of the whole character, which often relates to the original form of the radical. On the other hand, the non-radical component of the character often suggests its pronunciation, or vice versa. Chinese dictionaries contain more than 200 radicals, but you will easily memorize the most common ones. In the following lessons we'll present 60 radicals, each of them followed by three characters that contain them, by compounds and notes on their use. Please note that the shape of a radical changes according to its position in the character, and that the same radical could well be found at the top of a character and on the left side of another: our examples couldn't always show all of the possibilities. As for the pinyin transcription, we didn't put the tones (pronunciation doesn't really concern us by now) nor the umlauts that certain syllables have. #1

#2

#3

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#5

Radicals

Original characters

--

--

Pinyin

--

--

yan

dao

ren

Meaning

--

--

word

knife

man

dao

xiu

Examples leng

jing

shuo

cold

capital

to talk

to arrive

ice

di emperor

qing to request

sword

fo Buddha

xi to practise

xuan yu obscure language

kan to publish

xian Immortal

shuo hua to speak

daolai arrival

xiuxi to rest

qing wen may I ask...

jianbing handle of a sword

fojing Buddhist scripture

bing

jian

to stop

Compounds lengyin cold drinks bingdong to freeze xiguan to get used to

Beijing Peking huangdi emperor

xuanmiao yuyan marvellous language

yuekan monthly publication

xiannu female immortal

#1 The first radical is called the "two drops of water"; it usually appears in characters that have to do with coldness. It's placed at the left side of characters. #2 This radical always stays on top of characters. #3 This radical is called "speech", and it appears at the left side of characters that have to do with language. #4 The original form of the "knife" is also a radical; it's found at the bottom of characters, as in the first of the following. The second character shows a third form of this radical (placed on top):

fen

to divide

zheng to argue #5 The fifth radical is called the "standing person", and is always placed at the left side of characters. The character it comes from can also be used as a radical; in that case it always stays on top, as in the following character: zhong crowd  

#6

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#10

Radicals

Original characters

--

Pinyin

er

shui

xin

guang

--

Meaning

ear

water

heart

broad

--

yang sun Examples

jiu

guai miao temple strange

you

hui to regret

spirit xian

limit

oil

chuang bed

ke guest

court

bao treasure

baijiu qiguai white spirit strange

simiao temple

huanggong imperial palace

youhua huihen oil painting to regret

chuangdan sheet

keqi polite

jiating family

lingbao Nouminous Treasure

sha

dui team

sand

taiyang sun Compounds xiandu limit

gong palace

duizhang dousha team leader bean paste

ting

kuai quick

kuaile happy

#6 The first radical is called the "ear", and it can stay at the left side or at the right side of characters. #7 This radical is called "three drops of water", symbolizes flowing water and occurs on the left of characters. Its original form is also a radical; in the following character is placed at the bottom but its position is not fixed: quan spring, fountain #8 The original form of the "heart" is also radical, and is always placed at the bottom, as in the following character:

si thought #10 This radical is called "the covering top" and it always occurs on top. Characters with this radical are often related to the idea of house.

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Radicals

Original characters

--

Pinyin

men

zou

tu

--

da

Meaning

door

to walk

soil

--

big

jian space in between

jin to enter

di

Examples

wen to ask xian leisure

shijian time Compounds wenti question xianhua gossip

cao

tai greatest

earth

grass

far

ta pagoda

hua flower

mi to be lost

qiang wall

apple

mei beautiful

jinbu to improve

difang place

caoshu grass writing, cursive

taitai madame

yuanzu excursion

dengta lighthouse

yuan

qiangbi mixin superstition wall

ping

xuehua snowflakes pingguo apple

kua to exaggerate

kuakou to boast meili pretty

#12 The original form of this radical is also a radical, as in the following character:

chao to exceed #13 The original form of the "soil" is also radical, and is always placed at the bottom, as in the following characters: chen dust zuo to sit  

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Radicals

Original characters

--

--

Pinyin

shou

kou

--

shan

--

Meaning

hand

mouth

--

mountain

--

da

Examples

guo country

dao

to hit

jiao to shout, to call

zhua to seize

tan to sigh

ti to carry

ting to listen

quan circle, to enclose

peak

virtue

dakai open

jiaohan to shout

guoji international

daoyu islands

yinhang bank

tanci exclamation

ditu map

shanling mountain ridge

hen duo very much

tingzhong audience,

quanzi circle, ring

Compounds zhuazhu to catch tigao to raise

tu drawing

hang line

island ling mountain ridge

hen very de

feng

shanfeng

daode ethics

listeners

mountain peak

#16 The original form of the "hand" is also a radical, placed at the bottom or on the left: na

to hold, to take

bai to worship, to respect #17 The "mouth" is not always placed on the left of characters, as in the following examples: ming name shi

history

#19 This radical also stays on top or at the bottom of characters: sui

year

yue high mountain  

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Radicals

Original characters Pinyin Meaning Examples

shi

shi

quan

nu

zi

corpse

food

dog

woman

son

wei

fan

gou

nai

sun

tail

cooked rice dog

ju to dwell

jiao dumpling

cat

zhan to spread

e hungry

pig

aunt

child

fandian hotel, restaurant

goupi bullshit, nonsense

nainai grandmother

Sun Zhongshan Sun Yat-sen

jiaozi ravioli

maojiao mewing

furen married woman

guer orphan

esi to starve

zhurou pork

guniang girl

haizi child

weisui to tail behind, to follow Compounds jumin resident, inhabitant fazhan to develop

mao

breast, milk

grandson

fu woman, wife

gu lonely

zhu

gu

hai

#23 The original form of the "dog" is also a radical, as in the following character: ku to cry #24 This radical can also be found at the bottom of characters: qi wife #25 The "son" is not always placed on the left of characters, as in the following example: xiao filial piety  

#26 Radicals

#27

#28

#29

#30

Original characters Pinyin Meaning

ma

si

huo

fang

hu

horse

silk

fire

square

door

qu to drive

hong

Examples

red

tuo camel

lie violent

zhi paper

re hot

fang to put

jian shoulder

lu to travel

fang house, room

pian xi to deceive thin, delicate

zhao zu to shine, to reflect nationality flat

quzhu to expel

menglie fierce, violent

jiefang to liberate

jianbang shoulder

renao lively

luyou to travel

fangzu rent

kouhong lipstick

Compounds tuobei zhipai hunchback playing cards qipian to cheat

zixi zhaoxiang audience, listeners to photograph

bian

minzu biandan nationality shoulder pole

#26 The "horse" is also found at the bottom of characters, as in the following: ma to curse #28 The original form of the "fire" is also a radical, placed on the left of characters, as in the following examples: deng lamp yan smoke #29 This radical also stays at the bottom of characters:

pang side    

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#34

#35

Radicals

Original characters shi

yu

mu

che

ri

to show

jade

tree

vehicle

sun, day

Pinyin Meaning

li rite Examples

lin

wang king

shen zhu deity, spirit bead

forest song pine

ming light wan evening, late

linmu woods

guanglun halo

xiaoshi hour

songshu pine tree

zhuanhua to transform

mingbai to understand

qiu ball, globe

peach

limao courtesy

wangguo kingdom

zuguo wangqiu motherland tennis

zhuan to turn

shi time

liang classifier for vehicles

zu ancestor

Compounds shenhua zhenzhu mythology pearl

lun wheel

tao

taohua san liang qiche peach blossom three cars

wanshang evening

#31 The original form of this radical is also a radical, found at the bottom of characters: jin to forbid

#33 The "tree" also stays on top or at the bottom of characters, as in the following examples: li

plum

zhuo table #35 This radical is not always found on the left side of characters: xing

star

chun spring  

#36

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#40

Radicals

Original characters

Pinyin Meaning

--

bei

jian

niu

--

yue - rou

shellfish

to see

ox

--

moon - flesh, meat

fu to carry, to bear Examples

yuan employee cai wealth

Compounds

guan to watch gui regulation jue to feel, to awake

wu

gan shou liver to receive

mu herd

di enemy

te special

jiao leg to teach

thing

peng friend tui

fuze be responsible for fuwuyuan waiter caizheng finance

guannian concept

dongwu animal

shouhuo gandan to harvest sincerity

guilu law

muchang pasture land

didui hostile

ganjue to feel

tedian daojiao characteristic daojiao

pengyou friend huotui ham

 

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Radicals

Original characters

-qian

--

yi

shi

mu

to owe

sickness

clothes

stone

eye

sha sand, grit

mei eyebrow

Pinyin Meaning

Examples

ci sequence, next

bu bing sick, disease to mend

huan joyfully

ji xiu illness, pain sleeve

teng kuan a sum of money to ache

cixu order Compounds huanying welcome fukuan to pay  

ku trousers

ying

yan

hard

eye

bi emerald

shui to sleep

shengbing to fall ill

meimao buchang shazhi to compensate sand paper eyebrow

jiku sufferings

lingxiu leader

yingzuo hard seat

touteng headache

kucha underpants

shuijiao bilu dark green to sleep

yanjing eyeglasses

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Radicals

Original characters Pinyin

tian

jin

he

niao

yang

Meaning

field

metal, gold

cereal

bird

sheep

Examples

dian electricity

zhen needle

bei to prepare

zhong qian seed, type money

liu to leave

guo pot, pan

dianshi television Compounds zhunbei to prepare

zhenji injection qianbao wallet

liuxue to study abroad

huoguo hot pot

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#52

si private

qiu autumn

ji chicken ya crow ya duck

sichan jidan private property egg fenzhong minute

wuya crow

chunqiu Springs and Autumns

yarong duck's down

yang to raise, to grow xian to admire, to envy qun crowd, group

yangsheng to preserve one's health xianmu to admire qunzhong the masses

 

Radicals

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Original characters Pinyin

mi

zhou

chong

zhu

yu

Meaning

rice

boat

insect

bamboo

feather

hang to navigate

fu wen symbol, mosquito talisman

wing

ban kind, way

feng bee, wasp

pen

weng old man

sugar

chuan boat, ship

die butterfly

zhu to build

fan to turn

mianfen flour

hangkong aviation

wenzi mosquito

yinfu musical notes

fen powder Examples

cu thick tang

Compounds cucao rough baitang refined sugar

chi

bi

chibang wing

yiban general, common

fengmi honey

qianbi pencil fanyi to translate

hudie butterfly

shangchuan to embark

jianzhu to build

   

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Radicals

Original characters Pinyin Meaning

zu

yu

yu

gu

gui

foot

rain

fish

bone

demon

snow

xue

lu hai dull, stupid skeleton

kui chief, head

road

lei thunder

xian sui fresh, tasty marrow

hun hun soul

tiao to jump

xu to need

e crocodile

--

mo evil spirit

Lu Xun Lu Xun

haigu kuishou human bones outstanding

pao to run Examples

lu

paoxie xiaxue running shoes to snow Compounds lubiao road sign tiaozao flea  

du

jisui leiting xianhuo thunderclap fresh goods spinal cord xuyao to need

eyu crocodile

dulou skull

hunpo one's souls moli magic power