Begin with the words you will meet first.
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How to learn chinese characters without getting overwhelmed
You do not need thousands of characters to start. About 300 cover the HSK 1 and 2 words, and the same components appear again and again. The trick when learning chinese characters is to attach every new character to a sound, a meaning and a movement of the hand.
Work in small batches of five to ten characters. Learn them, use them in words, and only then add more.
A weekly routine to learn to write chinese characters
Spend ten to fifteen minutes a day. On day one, watch the animation for each new character. On day two, trace it with hints. On day three, write it from memory. Then let the daily review bring it back. To learn to write chinese characters reliably, writing by hand at least once matters more than recognising it on screen.
- Watch the stroke order animation.
- Trace, then write from memory.
- Say the pinyin aloud and read an example word.
- Review with flashcards the next day and a week later.
Radicals make learning chinese characters faster
Many characters share a component that hints at meaning: 氵 relates to water, 口 to the mouth, 女 to women. Recognising radicals lets you guess, remember and look characters up. Browse the radicals list to see families of related characters.
Frequently asked questions
How many characters should I learn first?
Start with the roughly 300 characters in HSK 1 and 2, then move to HSK 3.
Should I learn characters or words?
Both. Learn the character, then the common words it appears in, since most Chinese words are two characters.
Do I have to write characters by hand?
It is not required for reading, but writing each character a few times makes it much easier to remember.
Ready to practise?
Flashcards, quizzes and writing practice by HSK level
Start learning characters →Explore HSK vocabulary, practise with Chinese exercises, or take a NewHSK Mock Exam.