Chinese characters are constructed from a set of fundamental brush strokes, which serve as the building blocks of the writing system. Gaining familiarity with these basic strokes is an essential first step toward developing the ability to read and write Chinese effectively, as they form the structure of every character.

The table below presents the core strokes used in modern Chinese writing, along with their names and sample characters that illustrate how each stroke appears in context. By interacting with the table, you can deepen your understanding: clicking on the Pinyin will allow you to hear the correct pronunciation of each stroke’s name, while selecting the example characters will demonstrate how the stroke is formed and used within actual characters.