Chinese character patterns: the 12 layouts

Most Chinese characters are made of two or three parts placed in one of 12 layouts. Of the 1,317 HSK 1–4 characters on Hanzi Grove, 656 are left–right and 375 are top–bottom, so these two patterns cover about 78% of them.

1. Left–right
   ⿰ · 656 charactersTwo parts side by side.什从他们休
2. Top–bottom
   ⿱ · 375 charactersOne part above another.三上下不个
3. Left–middle–right
   ⿲ · 3 charactersThree parts side by side.班微辩
4. Top–middle–bottom
   ⿳ · 17 charactersThree parts stacked.京亮兴觉高
5. Full enclosure
   ⿴ · 16 charactersOne part closes all around another.五四回国图
6. Open at the bottom
   ⿵ · 24 charactersA frame over the top and both sides.同太月用网
7. Open at the top
   ⿶ · 1 charactersA frame under the bottom and both sides.山
8. Open on the right
   ⿷ · 3 charactersA frame on the left, top and bottom.医区巨
9. Top-left wrap
   ⿸ · 63 charactersA part wraps the top and left side.友右名后在
10. Top-right wrap
    ⿹ · 12 charactersA part wraps the top and right side.习包马句司
11. Bottom-left wrap
    ⿺ · 48 charactersA part wraps the left side and bottom.起边还这进
12. Overlapping
    ⿻ · 79 charactersParts cross or overlap each other.七东中九也
13. Single unit
    □ · 20 charactersA picture or symbol that does not split into side-by-side parts.一人八女手