Beginner Chinese Reference
Chinese Character Basics
A quick reference for Chinese strokes, stroke order, character structure, radicals, and the basic logic behind how characters are built.
01 · Overview
Chinese Characters at a Glance
Chinese writing is built step by step: strokes form components, components form characters, and characters combine to form words.
1
一 丨
Strokes 笔画
The smallest written lines.
2
亻
Components 部件
Parts made from strokes.
3
你
Character 汉字
A written unit with meaning.
4
你好
Words 词
Characters combine into words.
02 · Strokes
Strokes 笔画 (bǐhuà)
Strokes are the smallest writing units of Chinese characters. Learn the common ones first, and use the full list below as a reference.
Core Strokes
These are the shapes you will see again and again in beginner characters.
横
horizontal
竖
vertical
撇
left-falling
捺
right-falling
点
dot
提
rising
横折
horizontal turn
竖钩
vertical hook
Complete 32-Stroke Reference
1. 点
dot
Example: 主
2. 横
horizontal
Example: 三
3. 竖
vertical
Example: 十
4. 撇
left-falling
Example: 八
5. 捺
right-falling
Example: 人
6. 提
rising
Example: 打
7. 撇点
left-falling dot
Example: 女
8. 竖提
vertical rising
Example: 长
9. 横折提
horizontal-turn-rising
Example: 语
10. 弯钩
curved hook
Example: 了
11. 竖钩
vertical hook
Example: 小
12. 竖弯钩
vertical curved hook
Example: 孔
13. 斜钩
slant hook
Example: 我
14. 卧钩
lying hook
Example: 心
15. 横钩
horizontal hook
Example: 写
16. 横折钩
horizontal-turn-hook
Example: 力
17. 横折弯钩
horizontal-turn-curved-hook
Example: 九
18. 横撇弯钩
horizontal-left-fall-curved-hook
Example: 那
19. 横折折折钩
horizontal triple-turn hook
Example: 奶
20. 竖折折钩
vertical double-turn hook
Example: 与
21. 竖弯
vertical curve
Example: 西
22. 横折弯
horizontal-turn-curve
Example: 没
23. 横折
horizontal turn
Example: 口
24. 竖折
vertical turn
Example: 山
25. 撇折
left-falling turn
Example: 云
26. 横撇
horizontal left-falling
Example: 水
27. 横折折撇
horizontal double-turn left-falling
Example: 及
28. 竖折撇
vertical-turn left-falling
Example: 专
29. 横斜钩
horizontal slant hook
Example: 风
30. 竖折折
vertical double turn
Example: 鼎
31. 横折折
horizontal double turn
Example: 凹
32. 横折折折
horizontal triple turn
Example: 凸
03 · Writing
Stroke Order 笔顺 (bǐshùn)
Stroke order follows a small set of recurring patterns. These rules help you write characters in a natural and balanced way.
Horizontal before vertical
Left-falling before right-falling
Top to bottom
Left to right
Outside before inside
Outside → inside → close
Middle before sides
04 · Logic
How Characters Are Built
Chinese characters are not random drawings. Many characters become much easier to remember when you understand the basic idea behind their construction.
① 象形 xiàngxíng · Pictographs
Some of the oldest Chinese characters began as simple pictures of objects in the real world. Over time, the pictures became more standardized and developed into the characters used today.
日
sun / day
The ancient form represented the sun. The original rounded shape gradually became the square-shaped character 日.
月
moon / month
The ancient form was based on the curved shape of the moon. Today 月 can mean both “moon” and “month.”
山
mountain
The three vertical shapes suggest mountain peaks. The higher middle line helps preserve the idea of a mountain range.
木
tree / wood
Think of a tree: the vertical line represents the trunk, the upper strokes suggest branches, and the lower strokes suggest roots.
火
fire
The early form represented flames rising and spreading outward from the center. The modern character still keeps this visual idea.
口
mouth
The character developed from a simple representation of an open mouth and later became the square shape 口.
② 指事 zhǐshì · Ideograms
Some characters use simple lines, positions, or extra marks to represent an abstract idea rather than directly drawing an object.
一
one
One horizontal line directly represents the number one.
二
two
Two horizontal lines represent the number two.
三
three
Three horizontal lines represent the number three.
上
up / above
Imagine the long horizontal line as a reference line. The shorter mark is placed above it, showing “up / above.”
下
down / below
The shorter mark is placed below the reference line, showing “down / below.”
本
root / origin
Start with 木 mù — tree. An extra mark is added near the bottom to point to the tree's root.
③ 形声 xíngshēng · Phono-semantic Characters
Many Chinese characters combine two useful clues: one component suggests the meaning category, while another suggests the pronunciation.
妈 mā
mom
女 nǚ — woman
gives a clue about meaning.
马 mǎ — horse
gives the approximate sound “ma.”
Together they form
妈 mā — mom.
晴 qíng
sunny / clear
日 rì — sun
gives the weather / sunlight meaning clue.
青 qīng
gives the approximate sound.
Together they form
晴 qíng — sunny / clear.
请 qǐng
please / to ask
讠 comes from 言
and gives a clue related to speech or language.
青 qīng
gives the approximate sound.
Together they form
请 qǐng — please / to ask.
05 · Structure
Character Structures 汉字结构
Characters follow common spatial layouts. Recognizing the layout makes complex characters easier to break into smaller parts.
人
Single
独体结构
好
Left–Right
左右结构
树
Left–Middle–Right
左中右结构
爸
Top–Bottom
上下结构
意
Top–Middle–Bottom
上中下结构
国
Full Enclosure
全包围结构
店
Semi-Enclosure
半包围结构
这
Semi-Enclosure
半包围结构
06 · Radicals
Common Radicals & Components 常见偏旁部首
Components can help you see relationships between characters. Many common components give clues about meaning, while others help you guess pronunciation.
Two Useful Types of Clues
Semantic Components 表意
Give a clue about the meaning category: people, body, water, plants, animals, speech, movement, and so on.
Phonetic Components 表音
Give a clue about pronunciation. The sound is often similar rather than exactly the same.
Human & Body 人体相关
人字旁
person / people
女字旁
woman / female
提手旁
hand / action
口字旁
mouth / speaking / eating
竖心旁
emotion / feeling
心字底
heart / mind / thought
病字旁
illness / sickness
Nature 自然界
三点水
water / liquid
木字旁
wood / tree
草字头
plants / vegetation
日字旁
sun / day / time
雨字头
rain / weather
提土旁
earth / ground
火字旁 / 灬
fire / heat
Animals 动物
反犬旁
animals
鸟字旁
bird
鱼字旁
fish
Everyday Objects & Life 日常生活
宝盖头
roof / home
门字框
door / enclosure
金字旁
metal / money
食字旁
food / eating
Language & Movement 语言与动作
言字旁
speech / language
走之底
movement / direction
07 · Clues
Meaning Clues + Sound Clues
Many characters become easier to remember when you stop seeing them as one complicated picture and start looking at the job of each component.
妈 mā
mom
女 + 马 → 妈
女 nǚ — woman
Meaning clue: related to female / woman.
马 mǎ — horse
Sound clue: approximately “ma.”
→ 妈 mā — mom
请 qǐng
please / to ask
讠 + 青 → 请
讠 — speech / language
Meaning clue: related to speaking.
青 qīng
Sound clue: approximately “qing.”
→ 请 qǐng — please / to ask
晴 qíng
sunny / clear
日 + 青 → 晴
日 rì — sun
Meaning clue: related to sunlight / weather.
青 qīng
Sound clue: approximately “qing.”
→ 晴 qíng — sunny / clear
喝 hē
to drink
口 + 曷 → 喝
口 kǒu — mouth
Meaning clue: related to the mouth.
曷 hé
Sound clue: gives an approximate pronunciation.
→ 喝 hē — to drink
饭 fàn
rice / meal
饣 + 反 → 饭
饣 — food / eating
Meaning clue: related to food.
反 fǎn
Sound clue: approximately “fan.”
→ 饭 fàn — rice / meal
妈 / 吗 / 马
mā / ma / mǎ
Different meaning clues + similar sound clue
The same phonetic component may appear
in several related characters.
妈 mā — mom
吗 ma — question particle
马 mǎ — horse
08 · Words
From Characters to Words
A character has its own meaning, but Chinese words are often created by combining two or more characters together. Understanding the individual characters can help you understand and remember the whole word.
Example: 电 diàn
The character 电 diàn means “electricity / electric.” Once you recognize it, you can begin to understand a whole family of everyday words.
电
electricity / electric
电脑
computer
脑 nǎo = brain
Literally: “electric brain” → computer
电话
telephone / phone call
话 huà = speech / words
Literally: “electric speech” → telephone
电影
movie / film
影 yǐng = image / shadow
Literally: “electric images” → movie
More Examples
学校
school
校 xiào = school
Together: 学校 — school
学生
student
生 shēng = grow / be born; person in some compounds
Together: 学生 — student
中国
China
国 guó = country
Together: 中国 — China
中文
Chinese language
文 wén = writing / language / culture
Together: 中文 — Chinese language