A simple guide to Chinese writing!

Learning a new language is always fun but Chinese writing looks difficult. The graceful swirls and twirls that the letters create on a piece of paper are just enough to intimidate nearly every newbie to the art of Chinese writing. Here are a few simple tips to help you get the hang of Chinese writing.

General instructions

The first mistake nearly every person makes is assuming that Chinese writing is a drawing. But its not! Chinese writing is slightly more difficult over western writing and the letters may seem difficult in the beginning but you will learn how to do the simpler letters in a few days. Before you actually start here are a few simple tips to help you out-

• Learn the correct stroke order. Each letter is written in a specific format. Your instructor will teach you which strokes come first but please remember that Chinese writing is not drawing. Just as you would write every alphabet in English is a specific format, similarly each letter in Chinese writing follows a format and eventually you will learn how to do it unconsciously.
• The lettering of Chinese writing should be esthetic as they are written with a brush. But if you are comfortable you can write with a calligraphy pen or biro once you’ve got the hand of following the flow of the letters.
• There are several dictionaries that catalogue the writing of Chinese alphabets according to strokes.Before you can learn how to use the dictionary, you will have to learn the strokes and how they are created.

Rules for stroke writing

• Horizontal strokes for Chinese writing should start from left to right
• Vertical strokes for writing Chinese alphabets should start from the top and extend to the bottom.
• There are boxes in Chinese writing that are to be written in three strokes only. You can start by placing the left edge. The right and top edge are made in one stroke. But the bottom is carried out with a separate stroke.
• Hook strokes are very common in Chinese writing. You can write then by carrying out a vertical stroke and then extending them upward at the base.

Rules for stroke orders in Chinese writing

• Start the strokes from top to bottom and then extend from left to right
• Letters to be started from corners start from the upper left corner to the lower right corner and from outside to inside.
• Horizontal strokes are made before vertical strokes and central strokes are made before making the symmetrical side notations.
• Complete the lettering in side the boxes before you close them. This may seem a little difficult but a good instructor can teach you how to carry out the strokes in the prescribed formats as soon as possible.

Stroke types

There are eight basic forms of stokes and they are called according to their contemporary names. They are:

•  Dian- a simple dot
• Heng- a horizontal stroke existing left to right
• Shu- a vertical stroke from top to bottom
• Gou- a hook that is added to other strokes
• Ti- a diagonal stroked moving from left to right
• Pie- a diagonal stroke from right to left
• Duan Pie from right to left but shorter that the Pie
• Na- a left to right horizontal stroke

Do get in touch with a trained instructor to help you learn the Chinese writing style you like.