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Writing • Stroke Types

Chinese Writing Strokes
The 8 Basic Stroke Types

Every Chinese character — no matter how complex — is built from combinations of just eight basic stroke types. Understanding these strokes is the foundation of Chinese writing. Master the eight and you can analyse any character you encounter.

Part 2: Compound Strokes →Part 3: Stroke Counts →Stroke order rules →
永

永字八法 — The Eight Methods of 永

Chinese calligraphers discovered that the single character 永 (yǒng, “eternal”) contains all eight basic stroke types. This made it the perfect training character — practise 永 correctly and you practice every stroke in one go. The eight methods (八法, bā fǎ) have been the foundation of Chinese calligraphy education for over 1,500 years.

Horizontal • Vertical • Left-falling • Right-falling • Dot • Turning • Hook • Rising

1
横Horizontal Strokehéng
Left to right

The horizontal stroke is drawn from left to right with a slight upward angle — it is rarely perfectly flat. Begin with a small press of the brush, glide right, and end with another small press or a rightward lift. In regular script (楷书), the right end is slightly higher than the left.

Characters featuring this stroke:

一二三王土Found in nearly every character — the most common stroke in Chinese writing.
Tip: Do not draw it perfectly flat. A subtle rise to the right gives it life.
2
竖Vertical Strokeshù
Top to bottom

The vertical stroke descends straight downward. There are two variants: 竖 (shù) ending in a hanging drop — a slight leftward hook at the bottom — and 竖直 which ends cleanly. The hanging-drop version (悬针竖) is used when the vertical is the final stroke. The flat-end version (垂露竖) is used when more strokes follow.

Characters featuring this stroke:

十中木王门Appears in most characters with a clear vertical axis.
Tip: Keep the stroke straight. A wavering vertical makes the whole character look unstable.
3
撇Left-Falling Strokepiě
From upper-right to lower-left

The piě stroke sweeps from upper-right to lower-left. It begins with a press and tapers as it falls, ending in a clean point. The angle varies — a short piě is more horizontal, a long piě falls at roughly 30–45 degrees. In the character 人, the piě forms the left side.

Characters featuring this stroke:

人大千手发One of the most expressive strokes in calligraphy — the sweep and taper reveal the writer's skill.
Tip: Lift the brush smoothly as you reach the end — do not press down again.
4
捺Right-Falling Strokenà
From upper-left to lower-right

The nà stroke is the paired counterpart to piě. It begins as a thin stroke moving right and downward, then widens and ends with a heavy press — the 'goose tail' (雁尾). This final press is the hallmark of the nà stroke and is what makes it visually distinct from a diagonal.

Characters featuring this stroke:

人大文天走The nà's distinctive heavy foot makes it the most recognisable stroke in Chinese calligraphy.
Tip: The ending press should be confident — a weak ending makes the character look incomplete.
5
点Dot Strokediǎn
Various — usually short downward diagonal

The dot is a short, decisive stroke. Despite being called a 'dot', it has direction and shape — it is not a circle or a round blob. Dots appear pointing in different directions depending on their position in the character: down-left, down-right, or upward. The top-right dot is often written last (see Stroke Rules).

Characters featuring this stroke:

主太心字学The dot's direction within a character is determined by the overall flow of strokes around it.
Tip: Commit to the direction — a dot that tries to go everywhere ends up looking smudged.
6
折Turning Strokezhé
Changes direction with a sharp corner

The zhé stroke changes direction at a sharp angle — typically horizontal then turning downward. It is written in one continuous motion without lifting the brush. The corner is crisp, not rounded. The zhé is rarely seen in isolation; it always appears as part of a compound stroke like 横折 (héng zhé) or 竖折 (shù zhé).

Characters featuring this stroke:

口日月国田The 折 is the defining feature of all box-shaped and enclosed characters.
Tip: The turn should be at a clean 90° or close to it — avoid rounding the corner.
7
钩Hook Strokegōu
Added to the end of another stroke as a sharp upward flick

The hook is not a standalone stroke — it is always attached to the end of another stroke as a sharp upward or leftward flick. Common hooks: the vertical hook (竖钩 shù gōu, as in 寸), the horizontal hook (横钩 héng gōu, as in 字's top part), and the bending hook (弯钩 wān gōu, as in 子). The flick is small, decisive, and upward.

Characters featuring this stroke:

寸小子买了The hook adds energy and direction to what would otherwise be a plain ending.
Tip: The hook is a flick, not a curve — it ends in a point, not a loop.
8
提Rising Stroketí
From lower-left to upper-right

The tí stroke rises from lower-left to upper-right, like a sharp diagonal moving upward. It appears most commonly inside the left component of a character — for example, in the bottom stroke of 土 when used as a left-side radical. It begins with a press and tapers to a fine point as it rises.

Characters featuring this stroke:

打地补状持The tí is easy to overlook — it often replaces the flat horizontal at the base of radicals.
Tip: Notice that 土 written alone ends in a flat horizontal, but 土 as a left radical ends in a rising tí instead.

Quick Reference — All 8 Basic Strokes

1
横héng

Horizontal Stroke

2
竖shù

Vertical Stroke

3
撇piě

Left-Falling Stroke

4
捺nà

Right-Falling Stroke

5
点diǎn

Dot Stroke

6
折zhé

Turning Stroke

7
钩gōu

Hook Stroke

8
提tí

Rising Stroke

Video Lesson

Stroke Types Series

Part 1 — The 8 Basic StrokesPart 2 — Compound StrokesPart 3 — Stroke Counts