Learning Chinese

Strokes & Radicals

Stroke Order Rules

Writing characters in the right order makes them look natural and helps you memorize them. Watch the animations below to see each rule in action — click Replay to play again.

  1. Top to bottom. 三 is drawn top stroke, middle, then bottom.
  2. Left to right. In 你, the left side (亻) comes first.
  3. Horizontal before vertical when they cross. 十 is héng then shù.
  4. Outside before inside. In 日, the outer frame is drawn before the inside line.
  5. Close the box last. In 口, draw three sides, fill the inside, then the bottom closes it.
  6. Center stroke first in symmetrical characters. In 小, the middle 丨 comes first.

Quiz

Pick the best answer for each question. You get feedback right away.

  1. When a horizontal and vertical stroke cross, which comes first?

  2. In a boxed character like 日, when do you draw the bottom stroke?

  3. For 三 (three), stroke order goes: