Writing beautifully in Chinese is not easy, it needs hours and days practice, you may need to write each word 20 or more times. So from the beginning, you need to learn a right pencil holding style and good sitting pose. This will easy your efforts and allow you to practice writing for a long time.
Followings are the most recommended pencil holding style & sitting pose.
Each English letter has 1 to 3 strokes, no matter which stroke order you prefer to, it is not difficult to write. However Chinese words have many strokes, such as 我爱春天. To write Chinese quickly and neatly, you need to follow the best practices of stroke writing order.
There are 8 best practices for Chinese writing:
1. From left to right, such as 一，乛，刂，川，儿，旧，明;
2. From top to bottom, such as 丨，亅，三，亘，豆;
3. First horizontal stroke, then vertical stroke, such as 十，干，丰，韦;
4. First left-falling 撇 (丿) then right-falling 捺 (乀), such as 人，八，入，乂;
5. First outside, then inside, such as 月，同，司， 句;
6. First frame, inside, then seal at the bottom, such as 日，田，回，国;
7. First big, then small, such as 与，中，必，由，电;
8. First the middle, then both sides, such as 小，水，办.
We also need to pay attention to stoke weight during writing:
1. Horizontal (一) and vertical (丨): similar weight from start to end;
2. Left-falling 撇 (丿): Start heavily, end lightly;
3. Dot (点丶) or right-falling (捺乀): start lightly, end heavily.
Following illustrations show 8 best writing practices and stroke weight：
| 1. From left to right | |
|---|---|
| 一 |  |
| 乛 |  |
| 川 |  |
| 仰 |  |
| 2. From top to bottom | |
|---|---|
| 丨 |  |
| 三 |  |
| 亘 |  |
| 果 |  |
| 3. First 一 then 丨 | |
|---|---|
| 十 |  |
| 干 |  |
| 丰 |  |
| 木 |  |
| 4. First 丿 then 丶 | |
|---|---|
| 人 |  |
| 八 |  |
| 乂 |  |
| 入 |  |
| 5. First outside then inside | |
|---|---|
| 同 |  |
| 司 |  |
| 句 |  |
| 月 |  |
| 6. First frame, inside, then seal at bottom | |
|---|---|
| 日 |  |
| 田 |  |
| 回 |  |
| 困 |  |
| 7. First big then small | |
|---|---|
| 与 |  |
| 刃 |  |
| 必 |  |
| 巾 |  |
| 8. First center, then both sides | |
|---|---|
| 小 |  |
| 水 |  |
| 火 |  |
| 办 |  |
The 4 basic strokes 一丨丿丶 and their break extensions such as フ乁乙亅乚く, compose 183 Chinese components. These 183 components further compose all Chinese words. So, we learn to write components first, then use components to compose words.
We adopt 8 best writing practices to write 25 HeCharacters and components.
25 HeCharacters
Appendix 3 includes many hand-writing pages:
1. HeCharacter set writing,
2. Extended character set 1 writing,
3. Extended character set 2 writing.
Try to write as same as the illustration image, requirements:
1. Correct writing order;
2. Same size and shape;
3. Same strokes start-point & end-point;
4. Same stroke’s writing weight.
The English word is composed of letters written in 1 dimension. The Chinese word is composed of components in 2 dimensions and with different positions and structures.
In most Chinese words, components are separated, they can be written one by one, then put together, such as 亘草湘恕同, and this is the easy case.
But in some words, components are cross joined, such as 困束事甫感我. It is not convenient to write these components one by one; instead, we write as convenient as we want, some times need to disassemble components.
Following words have components cross joined, and there are two illustration images for each word’s coding order and writing order. Please notice that in writing order image, some components are disassembled.
| No. | Word | Coding | Writing | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 回 |  |
|
回国圆园 |
| 2 | 束 |  |
 |
吏柬枣刺事甫惠 |
| 3 | 我 |  |
 |
栽载戢鹅俄 |
| 4 | 咸 |  |
 |
成戍感戚 |
| 5 | 不 |  |
 |
否还要雨雪市 |
Chinese word’s coding order is based on its components and structure, however it writing order is just for easy and quick writing.
Word coding order and writing order are for different purposes, both have their reasons, and both are right.
For most words, their components are separated, their coding order and writing order are the same, such as 亘草妆湘恕同.
But some words’ components are enclosed, cross joined, such as:
1. 回、国、因、四、困
2. 甫、束、事、西、要
3. 我、栽、载、咸、感
4. 否、还、坏、歪、孬
When writing these words, we write in the most convenient order, regardless the component’s structure, some times we need to disassemble components.
In HeInput components system, word is composed of components. We learn Chinese writing from strokes to components, and then to words, in the way from simple to complex.
Appendix 3 includes hand-writing pages of 25 HeCharacters, extended characters, simple and complex words. Do more writing practice, more fluent in writing, and more familiar with Chinese words.