Writing Chinese Characters: Numerals & Basic Radicals

Writing the Numbers 1-10

The Chinese number system is remarkably logical. Once you learn the characters for 1-10, the rules for combination are simple and predictable. Our first task is to learn to write these ten foundational characters with the correct stroke order.

We will use a guide that not only shows the characters but also suggests a practicing order based on increasing complexity.

Now, let's get out a pen and paper. We'll work through that practice order, pairing the rules you already know with a video demonstration to see the strokes in motion.

Let's begin.

1. The "Easy" Group: 一 (yī), 二 (èr), 三 (sān)
These characters perfectly follow the top to bottom rule. For 二 and 三, note the variation in length: in 二, the bottom stroke is longer; in 三, the middle is shortest and the bottom is longest. This is for aesthetic balance.

• Practice: Watch the video for one, two, and three. Now, write each character five times.

2. The "Crossing" and "Symmetrical" Group: 十 (shí), 八 (bā)

• 十 (shí): A perfect example of the horizontal before vertical rule.
• 八 (bā): This follows the left-falling before right-falling rule.
• Practice: Watch the video for ten and eight. Write each one five times, focusing on the sequence.

3. The "Hook and Curve" Group: 七 (qī), 九 (jiǔ)
These two characters introduce strokes that change direction.

• 七 (qī): A horizontal stroke, followed by a vertical stroke that curves and ends in a hook. This is a single, complex stroke.
• 九 (jiǔ): A left-falling stroke, followed by a vertical stroke that bends to the right and ends in a hook.
• Practice: Watch the demonstrations for seven and nine. Pay close attention to how the hook is formed. Write each character five times.

4. The "More Complex" Group: 六 (liù), 五 (wǔ)

• 六 (liù): Starts with a dot, then a horizontal stroke, followed by the left-falling and right-falling strokes. This demonstrates the top to bottom and dots first (when on top) rules.
• 五 (wǔ): This can be tricky. The order is: horizontal, vertical, a horizontal-and-turn stroke, and a final horizontal stroke at the bottom. It follows top to bottom and horizontal before vertical.
• Practice: Watch the video for six and five. These have more steps, so trace them with your finger first, then write them.

5. The "Enclosure" Group: 四 (sì)
This is our first encounter with a full enclosure in this set. The rule is outside before inside, then close at the bottom.

1. Left vertical stroke (丨)
2. Horizontal-and-turn stroke (𠃍) to form the top and right walls.
3. Fill the inside components (a "legs" radical, a left-falling stroke followed by a vertical-and-turn).
4. Close the box with the final horizontal stroke.

• Practice: Watch the video carefully for four. This is a key structure in Chinese, so practice it until the sequence feels natural.

Reviewing Other Key Characters

Now let's apply the same focused practice to the other five characters from our learning objective. You've seen these before as examples, so treat this as a chance to solidify your knowledge. We can use the demonstrations from the previous lesson's video as a quick reference.

• 人 (rén, person): Rule: Left-falling before right-falling. See it written in the Mandarin Blueprint video at this timestamp.
• 大 (dà, big): Rule: Horizontal before vertical, then the left-falling and right-falling strokes. See it written here.
• 小 (xiǎo, small): Rule: Center before sides. The central hook comes first, followed by the left and right dots. Watch the demonstration here.
• 中 (zhōng, middle): Rule: Draw the "box" (口) first, then the vertical stroke that cuts through comes last. See it demonstrated in the LTL School resource from the last lesson.
• 国 (guó, country): The same rule as 四: Outside before inside, fill contents, then close. Watch the full sequence here.

Time to Practice

Now it's time for the most important part: building muscle memory through repetition. Below are two resources. The first is a reference chart showing the stroke order step-by-step. The second is a practice worksheet.

Your task is to take a piece of paper (or print the worksheet) and write each of the 15 characters we covered today (一, 二, 三, 四, 五, 六, 七, 八, 九, 十, 人, 大, 小, 中, 国) at least 10 times. As you write, say the stroke order rule in your head (e.g., for 十, think "horizontal, vertical"). This conscious reinforcement will accelerate your learning.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have just learned to handwrite your first 15 essential Chinese characters. This is a significant milestone. You've taken the abstract rules of stroke order and applied them to produce real, legible characters that are a core part of the HSK 2 vocabulary. This skill is the bedrock upon which you will build your ability to handle the exam's writing section.

Key Takeaways:

• You can now handwrite the numbers 1-10: 一, 二, 三, 四, 五, 六, 七, 八, 九, 十.
• You can also write five other fundamental characters: 人, 大, 小, 中, 国.
• You have actively applied the key stroke order rules: top-to-bottom, left-to-right, horizontal-before-vertical, left-before-right diagonals, center-before-sides, and the enclosure rule.

In our next lesson, we will shift our perspective. You have learned to build characters from their smallest parts (strokes). Next, you'll learn how to recognize and deconstruct characters into larger, meaningful components called radicals (部首, bùshǒu). Understanding radicals is the key to unlocking the meaning of hundreds of characters and will dramatically speed up your vocabulary acquisition.