If you want to learn to write Chinese characters, stroke order is really important. Using the wrong stroke order or direction can cause ink to fall on the page in different ways. The Chinese stroke sequence system is designed to produce the most beautiful, symmetrical and balanced Chinese characters on a piece of paper. In addition, it is designed to be efficient – create the most strokes with the least hand movement on the page.
1.从上到下Top to bottom
When a Chinese character is “stacked” vertically, like the character 立 (lì) which means to stand, the rule is to write from top to bottom.
2. Left to right
When a Chinese character has a radical, the character is written left to right. The same rule applies to characters that are stacked horizontally.
3.Symmetry counts
When you are writing a character that is centered and more or less symmetrical (but not stacked from top to bottom) the general rule is to write the center stroke first.
4.Horizontal first, vertical second
Horizontal strokes are always written before vertical strokes. Here is how to write the character “十(shí)” or “ten.”
5. Enclosures before content
You want to create the frame of the character before you fill it in. Check out how to write the character 日(rì) or “sun.”
6. Close frames last
Make a frame then fill in some of the components inside. After you write the middle strokes, close the frame, such as in the character “回(huí)” or “to return.”
7. Character spanning strokes are last
For strokes that cut across many other strokes, they are often written last. For example, the character 半 (bàn), which means “half.” The vertical line is written last.
