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Stroke Order Principles for Writing Clear Chinese Characters

Capítulo 2

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Why Stroke Order Matters (Beyond “Rules”)

Stroke order is a set of predictable habits that helps your characters look balanced, keeps proportions consistent, and makes writing faster and easier to remember. When you follow common patterns, your hand naturally “builds” the character in a stable way: anchors first, details later, and enclosing shapes at the right time. In this chapter you will practice a small rule set that covers a large percentage of beginner characters.

(1) Core Stroke Order Rule Set (with Examples)

Rule A: Top-to-bottom

Write upper components before lower components. This prevents the bottom from drifting too high and keeps vertical spacing even.

Example: 三 (three) — write the top horizontal, then middle, then bottom.
Example: 学 (study) — write the top part first, then the lower part.

Step order examples (numbers show stroke sequence):

三: 1 一 (top) → 2 一 (middle) → 3 一 (bottom)

Rule B: Left-to-right

Write left components before right components. This keeps the character from leaning and helps you place the right side in the remaining space.

Example: 你 — left radical first (亻), then the right part.
Example: 明 — write 日 first, then 月.

明: 1 日 (left) → 2 月 (right)

Rule C: Horizontal before vertical (when they cross)

When a horizontal and vertical stroke intersect, the horizontal usually comes first. This creates a stable “beam” before the “pillar,” improving alignment.

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Example: 十 — horizontal first, then vertical.
Example: 干 — top horizontal, then vertical, then bottom horizontal.

十: 1 一 → 2 丨

Rule D: Outside before inside

For enclosing shapes, write the outside structure first, then the inside content. This gives you a clear container so the inside fits neatly.

Example: 同 — outer box first (not closed yet), then inside, then close.
Example: 回 — outer box, then inner box, then close.

Rule E: Close frames last

If a character has a frame/box that closes, leave the closing stroke for the end. This prevents you from “trapping” yourself and helps you size the interior correctly.

Example: 口 — left, top, right, then bottom to close.
Example: 因 — outer frame (leave bottom open), write inside, then close bottom.

口: 1 丨(left) → 2 一(top) → 3 丨(right) → 4 一(bottom close)

Rule F: Center before sides (in symmetric forms)

In characters with symmetry, write the central stroke/component first, then the left and right sides. This anchors the character and keeps both sides even.

Example: 小 — center vertical first, then left dot, then right dot.
Example: 水 (common teaching order) — center line first, then side strokes.

小: 1 丨(center) → 2 丶(left) → 3 丶(right)

(2) Correct vs Incorrect Order: How Order Changes Shape

Below are side-by-side comparisons. The “incorrect” column shows a common beginner mistake. Even if the final strokes are the same, the path changes spacing and proportions.

Character	Correct order (principle)	Common incorrect order	What goes wrong
十	1 horizontal → 2 vertical (horizontal before vertical)	1 vertical → 2 horizontal	The cross often ends up too high/low because the horizontal is “guessed” after the pillar is placed.
口	Left → top → right → bottom (close frame last)	Top → left → bottom → right	Bottom may become too long/short; corners look uneven because the closing stroke is not planned.
明	日 then 月 (left-to-right)	月 then 日	The left part may get squeezed; the character leans and spacing between parts becomes inconsistent.
回	Outer (not closed) → inner → close (outside before inside; close last)	Inner first → outer	The inner box often ends up off-center because there is no container to guide placement.
小	Center first → sides (center before sides)	Sides first → center	The center stroke may not land in the true middle; the two dots become uneven in height and distance.

Mini check: “Does order affect legibility?”

Try writing 口 twice: once closing last, once closing early. Notice how the interior space changes. Clear characters usually have consistent interior “white space,” and correct order helps you preserve it.

(3) Guided Tracing → Freehand Writing (Practice for Each Rule)

Use a notebook grid or blank paper. For each item: (a) trace the numbered strokes slowly, (b) write it freehand 5 times, (c) circle your best one and note which rule you followed.

Practice A: Top-to-bottom

Trace:

三  1—  2—  3—

Freehand checklist:

Are the three horizontals parallel?
Is the spacing from top→middle similar to middle→bottom?

Freehand (5x):

三 三 三 三 三

Practice B: Left-to-right

Trace:

明: 1(日) → 2(月)

Guided steps:

Step 1: Write the left block (日) with a clear rectangular shape.
Step 2: Leave a narrow, consistent gap.
Step 3: Write the right block (月) to match height and overall width.

Freehand (5x):

明 明 明 明 明

Practice C: Horizontal before vertical

Trace:

十: 1 一 → 2 丨

Guided steps:

Step 1: Place the horizontal slightly above center (common proportion).
Step 2: Drop the vertical through the middle, crossing cleanly.

Freehand (5x):

十 十 十 十 十

Practice D + E: Outside before inside; close frames last

These two rules often work together.

Trace (口):

口: 1 left → 2 top → 3 right → 4 bottom(close)

Trace (回):

回: 1 outer (leave bottom open) → 2 inner box → 3 close outer bottom

Guided steps for 回:

Step 1: Draw the outer left + top + right (do not close).
Step 2: Add the inner box centered inside.
Step 3: Close the outer bottom stroke last.

Freehand (5x each):

口 口 口 口 口

回 回 回 回 回

Practice F: Center before sides (symmetry)

Trace:

小: 1 center丨 → 2 left丶 → 3 right丶

Guided steps:

Step 1: Put the center stroke straight and slightly longer than the dots.
Step 2: Add the left dot lower/shorter than the top of the center.
Step 3: Mirror the right dot to match angle and distance.

Freehand (5x):

小 小 小 小 小

(4) Quick Quizzes: Choose the Next Stroke + Name the Rule

Instructions: For each quiz, read the partial character description, choose the next stroke, and explain which rule you used. Write your answer as: Next stroke: ___ ; Rule: ___.

Quiz 1: 十

You have written the first stroke: a horizontal line (一). What is the next stroke?

A) Another horizontal line
B) A vertical line crossing the center (丨)

Explain: Which rule decides this?

Quiz 2: 口

You have written: left vertical, then top horizontal, then right vertical. What is the next stroke?

A) Close the bottom horizontal
B) Add an inside stroke

Explain: Which frame rule applies?

Quiz 3: 明

You are about to start the character. Which component should you write first?

A) 月 (right side)
B) 日 (left side)

Explain: Which directional rule applies?

Quiz 4: 回

You wrote the outer left + top + right strokes (bottom still open). What should you do next?

A) Close the outer bottom now
B) Write the inner box first

Explain: Which two rules guide this choice?

Quiz 5: 小

You have not written anything yet. What is the first stroke?

A) Left dot
B) Center vertical
C) Right dot

Explain: Which symmetry rule applies?

Quiz 6: Mixed rule identification

Match each character to the most important rule from the list: top-to-bottom, left-to-right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside, close frames last, center before sides.

Character	Your chosen rule	Why (one short sentence)
三	_____	_____
十	_____	_____
明	_____	_____
回	_____	_____
小	_____	_____

Now answer the exercise about the content:

When writing 回, after drawing the outer left + top + right strokes and leaving the bottom open, what should you do next to keep the character balanced?

You are right! Congratulations, now go to the next page

You missed! Try again.

After forming the outer container (still open), you add the inside so it fits neatly, then close the frame last. This follows outside-before-inside and close-frames-last.