Traditional Characters 101: Radicals, Components, And Basic Stroke Order

If you’ve ever stared at a Traditional Chinese character and thought, “Cool… where does the pen even start?”, this is for you.

You’ll learn how characters are built (radicals + components), what those parts usually “do,” and the basic stroke order rules that make your writing look less… haunted.

Key Terms You’ll See Everywhere

Radicals Vs. Components: Who Does What?

Think of a character like a LEGO build:

• 部件 (bùjiàn) are the pieces.
• 部首 (bùshǒu) is the piece the dictionary chooses as the “index label.” (Not always the “most meaningful” piece—just the chosen one.)

Two Helpful Component Jobs

Many characters (especially common ones) are 形聲字 (xíngshēngzì): one part hints meaning, one part hints sound.

Basic Strokes: The Names You’ll Hear

These are common 筆畫 (bǐhuà). Learn the names once, then teachers (and apps) start making sense.

Stroke Order Rules That Save Your Sanity

These rules won’t cover every weird corner case, but they handle the majority of daily-life characters.

• 從上到下 (cóng shàng dào xià) — top to bottom
  先從上到下寫「三」。
  Xiān cóng shàng dào xià xiě “sān”.
  Write “三” from top to bottom.
• 從左到右 (cóng zuǒ dào yòu) — left to right
  「你」先寫左邊的「亻」。
  “Nǐ” xiān xiě zuǒbiān de “亻”.
  In “你,” write the left “person” part first.
• 先橫後豎 (xiān héng hòu shù) — horizontal before vertical
  寫「十」時先橫後豎。
  Xiě “shí” shí xiān héng hòu shù.
  In “十,” write horizontal then vertical.
• 先撇後捺 (xiān piě hòu nà) — left-fall before right-fall
  寫「人」先撇後捺。
  Xiě “rén” xiān piě hòu nà.
  In “人,” write 撇 before 捺.
• 先外後內 (xiān wài hòu nèi) — outside before inside
  寫「同」先寫外框。
  Xiě “tóng” xiān xiě wàikuāng.
  In “同,” write the outer box first.
• 先中間後兩邊 (xiān zhōngjiān hòu liǎngbiān) — middle before sides (often in symmetrical shapes)
  寫「小」先寫中間那一筆。
  Xiě “xiǎo” xiān xiě zhōngjiān nà yì bǐ.
  In “小,” write the middle stroke first.
• 先進後關 (xiān jìn hòu guān) — fill, then close the box
  寫「回」先寫裡面，再關起來。
  Xiě “huí” xiān xiě lǐmiàn, zài guān qǐlái.
  In “回,” write the inside first, then close it.

Worked Examples: Split Characters Like A Pro

Let’s pull a few common characters apart and see 意符 (yìfú) and 聲符 (shēngfú) in action.

A Tiny Curious Bit: “214 Radicals”

You may hear people mention 214 部首 (èr bǎi shí sì bùshǒu) — the classic set from the Kangxi system. Modern dictionaries and apps sometimes tweak things, but the big idea stays the same: radicals are an indexing system, not a magical “one true meaning label.”

我先學常用的部首就夠了。
Wǒ xiān xué chángyòng de bùshǒu jiù gòu le.
It’s enough to learn the common radicals first.

Practice: Radicals, Components, And Stroke Order

Do these with a pen if you can. Your brain is a fan of “hands-on evidence.”

Drill 1: Circle The Radical

• 河 (hé)
• 你 (nǐ)
• 情 (qíng)
• 語 (yǔ)
• 喝 (hē)

Drill 2: Pick The Best Stroke Order Rule

• 十 (shí): ________
• 你 (nǐ): ________
• 回 (huí): ________
• 三 (sān): ________
• 人 (rén): ________

Drill 3: Write These In The Right Stroke Order

Write each character 3 times, slowly. Say the rule out loud once (yes, really).

• 木 (mù)
• 口 (kǒu)
• 小 (xiǎo)

Common Mistakes And Fast Fixes

• Mistake: Treating every component as the radical.
  Fix: Remember: 部首 (bùshǒu) is the dictionary’s chosen “label,” not necessarily the “main idea.”
  這個字的部首不一定是你最喜歡的那一部分。
  Zhège zì de bùshǒu bú yídìng shì nǐ zuì xǐhuān de nà yí bùfen.
  The radical isn’t always the part you personally like best.
• Mistake: Writing boxes “closed” too early (then you trap yourself).
  Fix: Use 先進後關 (xiān jìn hòu guān) for boxy characters like 回 (huí).
  寫「回」先寫裡面再封口。
  Xiě “huí” xiān xiě lǐmiàn zài fēngkǒu.
  In “回,” write the inside first, then close it.
• Mistake: Random stroke direction because “it looks fine.”
  Fix: Follow 筆順 (bǐshùn) so your spacing stays consistent and handwriting stays readable.
  筆順對手寫很重要。
  Bǐshùn duì shǒuxiě hěn zhòngyào.
  Stroke order matters a lot for handwriting.

Quick Reference: Rules And Common Radicals

Stroke Order Rule Cheat Table

Common Radicals Table A

Common Radicals Table B

Radicals help you find characters, components help you understand them, and stroke order helps you write them cleanly. Keep it simple, keep it consistent, and let the yak-approved system do the heavy lifting.