Chinese strokes: the 6 basic strokes and 18 combinations
Every Chinese character is written with a small set of strokes. Six are basic: 点 dot, 横 horizontal, 竖 vertical, 撇 left-falling, 捺 right-falling and 提 rising. The rest join them with turns (折) and hooks (钩).
The 6 basic strokes
- 点diǎndotA short dab, written from top-left to bottom-right.Example: 六
- 横hénghorizontalLeft to right, rising very slightly.Example: 一
- 竖shùverticalStraight down.Example: 十
- 撇piěleft-fallingFalls from upper right to lower left.Example: 人
- 捺nàright-fallingFalls from upper left to lower right, widening at the end.Example: 人
- 提tírisingA short rising flick from lower left to upper right.Example: 我
Turns and hooks (18)
- 横折héngzhéhorizontal-turnAcross, then turn sharply down.Example: 口
- 横撇héngpiěhorizontal-fallingAcross, then turn into a falling stroke.Example: 又
- 横钩hénggōuhorizontal-hookAcross, ending in a small hook down-left.Example: 写
- 竖折shùzhévertical-turnDown, then turn right.Example: 山
- 竖弯shùwānvertical-bendDown, then curve smoothly to the right.Example: 四
- 竖钩shùgōuvertical-hookDown, ending in a hook to the left.Example: 小
- 竖提shùtívertical-risingDown, then flick up to the right.Example: 以
- 竖弯钩shùwāngōuvertical-bend-hookDown, curve right, then hook up.Example: 儿
- 斜钩xiégōuslanted hookA long slanted line ending in a hook up.Example: 我
- 卧钩wògōulying hookA lying curve ending in a hook.Example: 心
- 横折钩héngzhégōuhorizontal-turn-hookAcross, turn down, then hook left.Example: 月
- 横折弯钩héngzhéwāngōuhorizontal-turn-bend-hookAcross, turn down, curve right, hook up.Example: 九
- 撇折piězhéfalling-turnFall left, then turn right.Example: 么
- 撇点piědiǎnfalling-dotFall left, then turn into a dot.Example: 女
- 横折折撇héngzhézhépiěhorizontal-turn-turn-fallingAcross, turn, turn again, then fall left.Example: 这
- 平捺píngnàflat right-fallingA flat, wave-like right-falling stroke.Example: 这
- 弯钩wāngōubent hookA curved line ending in a hook.Example: 子
- 横折提héngzhétíhorizontal-turn-risingAcross, turn down, then flick up.Example: 说