Learning Mandarin Chinese Characters Volume 2. Yi Ren

Inside stroke before side stroke

远	far	page 70
近	near	page 70

      Following these simple rules will help you write any character you desire. Just remember to form the strokes correctly and in the right order from the very start. Otherwise you will find yourself repeating the same mistakes without knowing it. Correct stroke formation and stroke order will become more critical as your Chinese characters become more complex.

      The Philosophy of Writing Chinese Characters

      书写汉字的哲学

      What is the philosophy behind writing Chinese characters? The philosophy can be summed up in one simple word: Balance!

      Balance means, the writer needs to remain calm in emotion and thought, focused on the character and follow the rules of stroke formation and stroke order. Remember to place the strokes evenly throughout left to right, top to bottom, outside to inside, inside to outside, etc.

      Take a look at these characters:

      山, 水 and 朋 are balanced from left to right;

      早, 果 and 召 are balanced from and top to bottom;

      国, 园 and 围 are balanced from outside to inside.

      Each character appears to be accurate, well balanced and will look beautiful on paper.

      Imagine drawing a person with a big head and small legs. Or a person with one arm longer than the other. The drawing would not look right. It would not look good. It might even look as though the picture could tip over or fall down. In any case, it would not look balanced. In that same way, if you write a character with longer strokes on the left and shorter strokes on the right, it won’t look balanced either. It won’t look accurate. It won’t look good on paper. For example, look at the character 山—shān—“mountain.” The center stroke is the longest, which represents the top of the mountain. Both sides contain vertical strokes which are the same in length. Thus, the character 山 is balanced. It looks accurate. It looks good on paper. If the left vertical stroke were longer than the right vertical stroke, the 山—mountain may appear off center or off balance. It may look as though the mountain could crumble to the ground.

      In short, keep this simple word in mind when writing Chinese characters: “Balance!”

      Enjoy Your Handwriting

      祝你愉快地学写汉字

      The same philosophy is true for both daily life and writing Chinese letters. Balance is the key. I kept this in mind while designing this book. This book is for all people everywhere and at all levels. It can be used by youth or students who want to learn and practice writing Chinese characters on their own. It can also be used by people who are preparing to take the HSK Level 2 exam and as a foundation of AP Chinese exam. The characters and composed words are chosen from the HSK Level 2 exam. These characters and words are essential for studying the Chinese language. (The HSK exam is a Chinese Proficiency Test or Chinese Standard Exam for all non-Chinese speakers. The HSK exam is similar to the TOEFL exam for non-English speakers. The difference between the two is, the HSK exam has six test levels.)

      Once you begin work in this book, you will find that following the step by step stroke order makes writing Chinese characters simple and easy. Use the space provided to practice writing on your own. In addition to writing individual characters, you will soon be able to write composed words and complete the practice exercises.

      Each practice exercise is designed to reinforce, as well as extend, the learner’s knowledge. You will quickly become very familiar with the vast number of Chinese characters offered here. You will know how to form Chinese characters use them properly. There are twelve exercises in all. Each practice exercise is a culmination of material covered. For your convenience, an “Answer Key” is provided in the back of the book.

      On each page with a featured Chinese character, you will find step by step stroke order directions which are easy to follow. You will also find three vocabulary words, phrases or idioms which relate to that featured Chinese character. Those phrases, idioms and proverbs are particularly well known in China and used in written, as well as oral language.

      An index with English, Chinese characters and Pinyin is also provided in the back of this book. It is arranged in alphabetical order, making it easier for English speakers to search for Chinese characters.

      As previously mentioned, all characters in this book are written in the simplified Chinese style. This is due to the fact that most people use this format. Today, Chinese writing is horizontal and moves from left to right, as in English. But in the past, Chinese writing was vertical and went from top to bottom, right to left.