Strokes


The Character 永 (yǒng) utilizes a variety of stroke types, which you will learn on this page!

Basic Strokes

Chinese Name Stroke English Name Example Characters Stroke Direction
1. 点 diǎn 丶 Dot 穴 火 点 top left to bottom right
2. 横 héng 一 Horizontal 一 二 三 兰 left to right
3. 竖 shù 丨 Vertical 木 刚 旧 top to down
4. 撇 piě 丿 Throw (left-slanting downward) 大 义 天 top to bottom left
5. 捺 nà ㇏ Press (right-slanting downward) 人 夫 处 top to bottom right
6. 提 tí ㇀ Lift (upward horizontal) 地 河 扑 bottom left to top right

Combined Strokes

Many other strokes most of them are combinations or variations of the basic strokes! Here are some commonly used combination strokes in regular Chinese print kai font:

Combination Strokes: Horizontal

Chinese Name Stroke English Name Example Characters Stroke Direction
1. 横折 héng zhé 𠃍 Horizontal Fold/Break 书 口 五 up to down or left to right
2. 横钩 héng gōu 乛 Horizontal Hook 穴 茅 买 across and hook
3. 横撇 héng piě ㇇ Horizontal Throw 邓 又 叉 across to left bottom
4. 横折钩 héng zhé gōu 𠃌 Horizontal Fold Hook 为 勾 有 across, down, hook
5. 横折提 héng zhé tí ㇊ Horizontal Fold Lift 为 勾 有 across, down, up to right
6. 横折弯 héng zhé wān ㇍ Horizontal Fold Curve 朵 船 没 across, down, curve to right
7. 横折折 héng zhé zhé ㇅ Horizontal Fold x2 凹 across, down, right
8. 横斜钩 héng xié gōu ⺄ Horizontal Slant Hook 飞 风 气 across, down, right, down
9. 横折弯钩 héng zhé wān gōu ㇈/乙 Horizontal Fold Curve Hook 乙 凡 九 across, down, curve to right, hook
10. 横撇弯钩 héng piě wān gōu ㇌ Horizontal Throw Curve Hook 陈 邮 部 across, throw, curve down, hook
11. 横折折撇 héng zhé zhé piě ㇋ Horizontal Fold x2 Throw 陈 邮 部 across, fold, fold, throw
12. 横折折折钩 héng zhé zhé zhé gōu 𠄎 Horizontal Fold x3 hook 乃 奶 仍 across, down, right, down, hook
13. 横折折折 héng zhé zhé zhé ㇎ Horizontal Fold x3 凸 across, down, right, down

Combination Strokes: Vertical

Chinese Name Stroke English Name Example Characters Stroke Direction
1. 竖折 shù zhé 𠃊 Vertical Fold/Break 亡 山 互 down to right
2. 竖钩 shù gōu 亅 Vertical Hook 小 水 丁 down and hook
3. 竖提 shù tí 𠄌 Vertical Lift 凉 以 比 down and lift to right
4. 竖弯 shù wān ㇄ Vertical Curve Hook 四 西 酉 down and curve to right
5. 竖弯钩 shù wān gōu 乚 Vertical Curve Hook 扎 花 完 down, curve to right, hook
6. 竖折撇 shù zhé piě ㄣ Vertical Fold Throw 专 down (left), right, down to left
7. 竖折折 shù zhé zhé 𠃑 Vertical Fold x2 鼎 down, right, down
8. 竖折折钩 shù zhé zhé gōu ㇉ Vertical Fold x2 Hook 弯 弟 号 down, right, down, hook
9. 撇点 piě diǎn 𡿨 Throw Dot 女 巡 甾 throw to left, dot to right
10. 撇折 piě zhé 𠃋 Throw Fold 去 公 玄 throw to left, fold to right
11. 斜钩 xié gōu ㇂ Slant Hook 戈 我 战 curve down to right, hook
12. 弯钩 wān gōu ㇁ Curved hook 了 狗 猪 curved down, hook
13. 卧钩 gōu ㇃ Reclining Hook 心 必 沁 curve to bottom right, hook

Note that there are still more strokes! Some of them are not commonly used or aren't available in text, so they haven't been included here.