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Writing • Stroke Rules

Beginner's Guide to Chinese Stroke Order
The 6 Core Rules

Chinese stroke order is not random — it follows a set of rules refined over thousands of years to make writing faster and more natural. Memorise these six rules and you will be able to predict the correct stroke order for the vast majority of Chinese characters.

Part 2: Complex Characters →Part 3: Advanced Rules →Animated stroke examples →

Each rule below includes the Chinese name, a plain-English explanation, and three example characters that demonstrate exactly when and how the rule applies.

1

Rule 1: Top to Bottom

上到下 (shàng dào xià)

When strokes are stacked vertically, write the upper strokes before the lower ones. This mirrors the natural downward flow of the brush.

三

三 — sān

Three horizontal lines — write top line first, middle, then bottom.

工

工 — gōng

Top horizontal, then vertical, then bottom horizontal.

王

王 — wáng

Top horizontal, middle horizontal, vertical, bottom horizontal.

2

Rule 2: Left to Right

左到右 (zuǒ dào yòu)

When strokes or components sit side by side horizontally, write the left ones before the right ones. This applies to individual strokes as well as whole sub-components.

川

川 — chuān

River — three vertical strokes written left to right.

刘

刘 — liú

Left component 文 fully written before right component 刂.

明

明 — míng

Left component 日 fully written before right component 月.

3

Rule 3: Horizontal Before Vertical When Crossing

先横后竖 (xiān héng hòu shù)

When a horizontal stroke and a vertical stroke cross each other, write the horizontal stroke first. This rule applies specifically to intersecting strokes.

十

十 — shí

Horizontal line first, then the vertical stroke through it.

七

七 — qī

Horizontal stroke first, then the hook-vertical through the centre.

王

王 — wáng

All three horizontals are written before the central vertical.

4

Rule 4: Left-Falling Before Right-Falling

先撇后捺 (xiān piě hòu nà)

When a character has both a 撇 (left-falling, piě) stroke and a 捺 (right-falling, nà) stroke forming a 'V' or 'X' shape, write the left-falling stroke first.

人

人 — rén

The piě (left-falling) stroke comes before the nà (right-falling).

八

八 — bā

Left side down-left first, then right side down-right.

父

父 — fù

Two upper strokes (piě + nà) written before the two lower ones.

5

Rule 5: Outside Before Inside — Close Last

先外后内，后封口 (xiān wài hòu nèi, hòu fēng kǒu)

When a character has an enclosing frame, write the outer frame first (top and sides), fill in the inner content, and then draw the bottom closing stroke last. Never seal the box before writing what's inside.

口

口 — kǒu

Left side + top, then right side, then bottom seal (3 strokes total).

日

日 — rì

Frame strokes first, inner horizontal second, bottom seal last.

国

国 — guó

Outer frame left+top+right first, then 玉 inside, then bottom seal.

6

Rule 6: Centre Before Sides (Symmetric Characters)

先中间后两边 (xiān zhōngjiān hòu liǎng biān)

For characters with clear left-centre-right symmetry, write the central element first, then the left side, then the right side. This keeps the proportions balanced.

小

小 — xiǎo

Centre vertical-hook first, then left dot, then right dot.

水

水 — shuǐ

Central vertical stroke first, then left components, then right.

山

山 — shān

Middle vertical first, then left vertical, then right vertical.

Bonus Rule: Vertical Stroke Through Top Goes Last

When a vertical stroke pierces completely through a horizontal stroke at the top of a character (rather than just crossing), it is written last. This is distinct from Rule 3 — here the vertical dominates the structure.

中

中 — zhōng

口 frame first, then the central vertical piercing through.

车

车 — chē

Upper horizontal strokes first, then the long central vertical.

Video Lesson

Stroke Rules Series

Part 1 — The 6 Core RulesPart 2 — Complex CharactersPart 3 — Advanced & Common Mistakes