Write Chinese characters (hanzi) with three to four components

Understanding Chinese Characters with 3–4 Strokes

Chinese characters (hanzi) are built from basic strokes. Each stroke has a name and a direction. When you combine 3 or 4 strokes in the correct order, you can write simple Chinese characters.

Basic Strokes You Need to Know

Every Chinese character is made of strokes. Here are the seven basic strokes:

Stroke	Chinese Name	How to Write It	Example
—	héng (horizontal)	left → right	一 (yī)
丨	shù (vertical)	top ↓ bottom	十 (shí)
丿	piě (left-falling)	top right ↓ left	八 (bā)
丶	diǎn (dot)	light tap	习 (xí)
𠂉	nà (right-falling)	top left ↘ bottom right	人 (rén)
⺄	tí (rising)	bottom left ↗ top right	习 (xí)
亅	shùgōu (vertical hook)	down, then hook left	水 (shuǐ)

Stroke Order Rules

Chinese characters must be written in a specific order. Follow these rules:

1. 先撇后捺 (piě first, then nà) — Write the left-falling stroke before the right-falling stroke.
   Example: 人 (rén) — person

2. 先横后竖 (héng first, then shù) — Write horizontal before vertical.
   Example: 十 (shí) — ten

3. 从上到下 (top to bottom) — Write upper part first, then lower part.
   Example: 三 (sān) — three

4. 从左到右 (left to right) — Write left side first, then right side.
   Example: 日 (rì) — sun/day

5. 先外后里 (outside first, then inside) — Write the outer frame before the inside.
   Example: 问 (wèn) — to ask

6. 先中间后两边 (middle first, then both sides) — Write the middle part before the sides.
   Example: 水 (shuǐ) — water

Examples of Characters with 3–4 Strokes

Here are common characters made of 3 or 4 strokes:

Three-stroke characters:

• 习 (xí) — to practice
  Order: 𠂉 (nà) → 丶 (diǎn) → 𠂉 (nà)
• 九 (jiǔ) — nine
  Order: 丿 (piě) → 𠃌 (shùgōu) → 丶 (diǎn)

Four-stroke characters:

• 日 (rì) — sun / day
  Order: 丨 (shù) → 一 (héng) → 丨 (shù) → 一 (héng)
• 水 (shuǐ) — water
  Order: 亅 (shùgōu) → 丨 (shù) → 丶 (diǎn) → 丿 (piě)
• 木 (mù) — tree / wood
  Order: 一 (héng) → 丨 (shù) → 丿 (piě) → 丶 (nà)
• 王 (wáng) — king
  Order: 一 (héng) → 一 (héng) → 丨 (shù) → 一 (héng)
• 问 (wèn) — to ask
  Order: 丶 (diǎn) → 丨 (shù) → 𠂉 (nà) → 丶 (diǎn)

How to Practise

1. Watch carefully — Look at how each stroke is drawn.
2. Follow the order — Use the stroke order rules. Never mix up the order!
3. Write slowly — Use your finger or a pencil to trace the character first.
4. Repeat — Write each character 3–4 times to remember it.

Quick Practice

Try writing these characters on your own:

• 三 (sān) — three (3 strokes: three horizontals, top to bottom)
• 十 (shí) — ten (2 strokes: horizontal then vertical)
• 人 (rén) — person (2 strokes: piě then nà)
• 八 (bā) — eight (2 strokes: left-falling then right-falling)

Real-life application

In Tanzania, knowing how to write simple Chinese characters can help you when using Chinese-made products like phones, tablets, or school supplies — many have Chinese characters on the buttons or packaging. If you ever meet Chinese tourists at tourist sites like Serengeti or Zanzibar, you could write simple characters like 三 (sān = three) or 十 (shí = ten) to help count items or understand prices marked in Chinese characters on souvenirs.