Learn Chinese Characters
This is the first of five free lessons about Chinese characters' strokes.
What Are Strokes?
Every Chinese character is composed by lines called strokes.
A stroke is a mark traced by a single movement of the pen. Writing each stroke (simple or complex), from its beginning to its end, you need not lift your pen from the paper.
It's important also to respect the direction of each stroke. For example, you cannot draw the horizontal stroke (see below) from right to left, but from left to right.
A Chinese character might be composed by only one or even by more than thirty strokes.
In the following table you see the shape of all simple strokes with their name, writing direction and some example characters containing them.
![Dot stroke](https://wearyourchinesename.com/dot.gif)
(and direction)
(downwards a bit to the right)
![Dot stroke example 1](https://wearyourchinesename.com/dot1.gif)
![Dot stroke example 2](https://wearyourchinesename.com/dot2.gif)
![Left dot stroke](https://wearyourchinesename.com/dotsin.gif)
(and direction)
(downwards a bit to the left)
![Left dot stroke example 1](https://wearyourchinesename.com/dotsin1.gif)
![Left dot stroke example 2](https://wearyourchinesename.com/dotsin2.gif)
![Long dot stroke](https://wearyourchinesename.com/longdot.gif)
(and direction)
(falling from left to rigth)
![Long dot stroke example 1](https://wearyourchinesename.com/longdot1.gif)
![Long dot stroke example 2](https://wearyourchinesename.com/longdot2.gif)
![Horizontal stroke](https://wearyourchinesename.com/orizz.gif)
(and direction)
(left to right)
![Horizontal stroke example 1](https://wearyourchinesename.com/orizz1.gif)
![Horizontal stroke example 2](https://wearyourchinesename.com/orizz2.gif)
![Vertical stroke](https://wearyourchinesename.com/vert.gif)
(and direction)
(downwards)
![Vertical stroke example 1](https://wearyourchinesename.com/vert1.gif)
![Vertical stroke example 2](https://wearyourchinesename.com/vert2.gif)
![Left-falling stroke](https://wearyourchinesename.com/sin.gif)
(and direction)
(falling from right to left)
![Left-falling stroke example 1](https://wearyourchinesename.com/sin1.gif)
![Left-falling stroke example 2](https://wearyourchinesename.com/sin2.gif)
![Flat left-falling stroke](https://wearyourchinesename.com/flatsin.gif)
(and direction)
(falling slightly from right to left)
![Flat left-falling stroke example 1](https://wearyourchinesename.com/flatsin1.gif)
![Flat left-falling stroke example 2](https://wearyourchinesename.com/flatsin2.gif)
![Vertical left-falling stroke](https://wearyourchinesename.com/vertsin.gif)
(and direction)
(downwards slightly to the left)
![Vertical left-falling stroke example 1](https://wearyourchinesename.com/vertsin1.gif)
![Vertical left-falling stroke example 2](https://wearyourchinesename.com/vertsin2.gif)
![Right-falling stroke](https://wearyourchinesename.com/des.gif)
(and direction)
(falling from left to right)
![Right-falling stroke example 1](https://wearyourchinesename.com/des1.gif)
![Right-falling stroke example 2](https://wearyourchinesename.com/des2.gif)
![Flat right-falling stroke](https://wearyourchinesename.com/flatdes.gif)
(and direction)
(falling slightly from left to right)
![Flat right-falling stroke example 1](https://wearyourchinesename.com/flatdes1.gif)
![Flat right-falling stroke example 2](https://wearyourchinesename.com/flatdes2.gif)
![Rising stroke](https://wearyourchinesename.com/sal.gif)
(and direction)
(upwards from left to right)
![Rising stroke example 1](https://wearyourchinesename.com/sal1.gif)
![Rising stroke example 2](https://wearyourchinesename.com/sal2.gif)
![Horizontal hook stroke](https://wearyourchinesename.com/orunc.gif)
(and direction)
(from left to right plus downwards hook)
![Horizontal hook stroke example 1](https://wearyourchinesename.com/orunc1.gif)
![Horizontal hook stroke example 2](https://wearyourchinesename.com/orunc2.gif)
![Vertical hook stroke](https://wearyourchinesename.com/vertunc.gif)
(and direction)
(downwards plus rising hook to the left)
![Vertical hook stroke example 1](https://wearyourchinesename.com/vertunc1.gif)
![Vertical hook stroke example 2](https://wearyourchinesename.com/vertunc2.gif)
![Curved hook stroke](https://wearyourchinesename.com/curvunc.gif)
(and direction)
(downwards plus rising hook to the left)
![Curved hook stroke example 1](https://wearyourchinesename.com/curvunc1.gif)
![Curved hook stroke example 2](https://wearyourchinesename.com/curvunc2.gif)
![Diagonal hook stroke](https://wearyourchinesename.com/diagunc.gif)
(and direction)
(downwards plus upwards hook)
![Diagonal hook stroke example 1](https://wearyourchinesename.com/diagunc1.gif)
![Diagonal hook stroke example 2](https://wearyourchinesename.com/diagunc2.gif)
![Lying hook stroke](https://wearyourchinesename.com/lieunc.gif)
(and direction)
(falling from left to right plus upwards hook)
![Lying hook stroke example 1](https://wearyourchinesename.com/lieunc1.gif)
![Lying hook stroke example 2](https://wearyourchinesename.com/lieunc2.gif)
Click here for lesson 2 on Chinese characters' strokes.
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See also:
Learn Chinese Conversation Lesson 2
Learn Chinese Conversation Lesson 3
Learn Chinese Conversation Lesson 4
Learn Chinese Conversation Lesson 5
Learn Chinese Characters
Learn Chinese Characters Lesson 2
Learn Chinese Characters Lesson 3
Learn Chinese Characters Lesson 4
Learn Chinese Characters Lesson 5
Learn Chinese Grammar Lesson 2
Learn Chinese Grammar Lesson 3
Learn Chinese Grammar Lesson 4