1.From left to right
For characters with side-by-side strokes or components, the left stroke or component is written before the next one on the right: 川、仁、街、湖.
2.From top to bottom
For characters with strokes or components at top and bottom, the top stroke or component is written before the next one below: 三、字、星、意.
3.Enclosures before contents
Outside enclosing strokes, whether on two sides or three, are written before insides strokes: 刀、勻、月、問.
4.Horizontal before vertical
When strokes cross, horizontal strokes are written first, then vertical strokes as in 十、干、士、甘、聿.
Write the left-to-right diagonal stroke before the right-to-left one when they cross or connect each other: 交、人、今、長.
6.Center before outside
Vertical strokes come before those on both sides or at the bottom: 上、小、山、水.
7.Bottom horizontal strokes last
When a vertical stroke crosses several horizontal strokes, the horizontal stroke at the bottom is usually written last: 王、里、告、書.
8.Character-spanning strokes last
A middle horizontal stroke that cuts through other strokes is written last: 女、丹、母、毋、冊.
9.Bottom strokes of enclosures last
Outside enclosing strokes are written first, followed first by inside components and then bottom enclosing strokes.
For example, 日、田、回、國.
For example, 日、田、回、國.
10.Inside or upper-right dots last
Top or upper-left-top dots are written before inside or upper-right ones as in 卞、為、叉、犬.
11.Radical 戈
In characters based on the radical 戈 , the 戈 component is drawn in the sequence of the horizontal stroke followed by the upper-right dot and then the right-to-left diagonal. 戊、戒、成、咸 are the examples.
12.Right-to-left diagonals
When a right-to-left diagonal is at the top, or when it forms an upper enclosure together with a horizontal stroke with a vertical turn and hook (橫折鉤) or a horizontal stroke with a slanting stroke and hook (橫斜鉤), the right-to-left diagonal stroke is usually created first.
For example, 千、白、用、凡.
For example, 千、白、用、凡.
13.Crossing strokes with symmetrical parts
When horizontal strokes cross vertical ones and there are symmetrical components on both sides of the vertical lines, write the horizontal ones first, then the vertical ones, followed by the symmetrical components (the left one before the right one).
For example, 來、垂、喪、乘、臿.
For example, 來、垂、喪、乘、臿.
14.Shuzhe (豎折) and Shuqugou (豎曲鉤)
A vertical stroke with a horizontal turn to the right (shuzhe) or a vertical line combined with a level bending stroke with a hook (shuqugou) is written last when it crosses or connects with another stroke, or when there is no other stroke following it.
For instance, 區、臣、也、比、包.
For instance, 區、臣、也、比、包.
15.Radicals
and 
In characters based on the radicals and , the radicals are usually written last as in 廷、建、返、迷.
and , the radicals are usually written last as in 廷、建、返、迷.16.Bottom enclosures
For characters which have bottom enclosures, write the upper part before the bottom enclosure as in 凶、函、出.
17.Center components before side ones
Components between the same or symmetrical parts are written first, followed by the left part and then the right part of the symmetrical structure, as in 兜、學、樂、變、贏.
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