Writing - The Sequence

A single Chinese character can have a lot of strokes and each stroke should be written in correct sequence.

The sequence of strokes is actually not very important, as even though if your sequence is wrong, no one will notice or bother about it as long as they can understand what you write. So don't be too obsessed about it. 

However, it is good to follow the sequence as much as you can, because it may make writing and learning Chinese characters easier and more systematic.

The sequence rules will be divided into 2 groups here:

1. For characters without enclosure, eg. 天，好，花

2. For characters with enclosure, eg.

• fully enclosed 回
• upper enclosure 冈
• lower enclosure 凶
• left enclosure 区  (there is NO character with right enclosure)

* The rules for characters without enclosure also apply to characters with enclosure

The sequence rules

1. For characters without enclosure

1(a) From top to bottom, eg   三 (horizontal top to bottom)

1(b) From left to right, eg   川 (vertical left to right)

1(c) Horizontal before vertical, eg   十  (horizontal then vertical)

1(d) Diagonal down right to left before diagonal down left to right, eg   八 (left stroke then right)

1(e) Center first in vertically symmetrical characters, eg   小 (vertical hook, left dot, right dot)

1(f) Center-piercing vertical last, eg   中 (left vertical, horizontal turn vertical, horizontal, center vertical)

1(g) Dots of minor strokes on the top or left first, eg  六 (upper dot, horizontal, left slant stroke, right dot)

1(h) Dots or minor strokes on the right last, eg   玉 (top horizontal, mid horizontal, vertical, bottom horizontal, dot)

2. For characters with enclosure

2(a) Left vertical first before enclosing, eg   口 (left vertical, upper horizontal turn vertical, lower horizontal)

2(b) Bottom horizontal last in fully enclosed characters, eg   口 (same as above)

2(c) Enclosures before contents (outside before inside) – for upper enclosure, eg   冈 (left vertical, horizontal turn vertical hook, down stroke to left, longer dot to right)

2(d) Bottom enclosures last (inside before outside) – for lower enclosure, eg   凶 (down stroke to left, longer dot to right, left vertical turn horizontal, right vertical)

2(e) Follow top to bottom (inside in between outside) - for left enclosure, eg   区 (upper horizontal, down stroke to left, longer dot to right, vertical turn horizontal)


If you are a beginner, I don't expect you to write most words in correct sequence at this moment. For example, how to write this word 睡 in correct sequence? Don't worry, if you keep on learning and practicing, surely you will know its "secret".