Why must I write Chinese characters in the correct stroke order?

Writing in the correct stroke order makes characters balanced, neat and faster to write later on. More importantly, it builds the habit of remembering a character's structure by radical, so you remember it longer and make fewer stroke errors.

How do the Watch, Trace and Test modes differ?

Watch mode lets you observe each stroke written in the correct order. Trace mode has you write over faint guide strokes, while Test mode asks you to write with no hints to self-assess. Going through the three modes in turn helps you remember characters best.

Can I write Chinese characters on a phone?

Yes. Use your finger to draw directly on a phone or tablet screen, and a mouse on a computer. The writing interface works smoothly on every device so you can squeeze in practice anytime.

How many characters should I practice writing each day?

You only need to practice 5-10 new characters a day and review a few old ones to progress steadily. Writing by hand regularly in moderate amounts is far more effective than cramming dozens at once and forgetting them right after.

Is practicing writing these 1000+ characters free?

Yes. You can practice writing over 1000 common Chinese characters completely free, with pinyin and meaning for each. Characters are ordered by frequency, so you practice the most common ones first.

Writing

Write characters书写

Correct strokes, correct order. Watch a demo, Trace over guides, Test writing with no hints. Touch to draw on mobile, mouse on desktop.

Characters (1520)

Chinese stroke order rules

See the full guide

Seven basic stroke-order principles that help you write characters correctly and neatly.

十1
Horizontal before vertical先横后竖
Write a horizontal stroke before the vertical stroke that crosses it.
八2
Left-falling before right-falling先撇后捺
The left-falling stroke comes before the right-falling one.
三3
Top to bottom从上到下
Write strokes in order from top to bottom.
川4
Left to right从左到右
Write strokes in order from left to right.
月5
Outside before inside先外后内
Write the enclosing frame before the parts inside it.
回6
Seal the frame last先里头后封口
Write the inside first, then close the bottom of the frame last.
小7
Middle before sides先中间后两边
For symmetric characters, write the centre stroke first, then the two sides.

Practice writing characters with correct strokes and order

Writing by hand (书写) is the most durable way to learn Chinese characters. When you draw each stroke in the correct order yourself, you remember the character's structure by radical instead of just glancing at it, so you remember longer and confuse look-alike characters less.

Hanbeego's writing tool has three clear modes: Watch mode to observe the stroke order, Trace mode to write over faint guide strokes, and Test mode to write with no hints. Over 1000 common characters are ordered by frequency, each with pinyin and meaning.

You can write with your finger on a phone or tablet, or with a mouse on a computer. Just practice 5-10 new characters a day and review old ones, and within a few weeks you'll see your handwriting become more balanced and your character recognition improve markedly.

Write characters书写

Chinese stroke order rules

Practice writing characters with correct strokes and order

Frequently asked questions