Writing Chinese characters isn't drawing — every character has a defined stroke order (笔顺). Following it makes characters look balanced, helps you remember them, and lets you write faster. This is the foundation: 8 basic strokes plus 7 rules, then practice each character with animation.
Why stroke order matters
- Balanced, better-looking characters — wrong order usually means lopsided shapes.
- Stronger memory — your hand learns the path, not just the look.
- Faster writing once it's automatic, and easier dictionary lookup by radical/stroke.