How to practise writing Chinese characters
Chinese children learn to write in exercise books ruled with square grids, one character to a square. The guide lines inside each square show where every stroke should sit, so characters come out balanced and the same size. Writing a character again and again, first tracing and then from memory, is still the surest way to remember it. These sheets follow the same method: a dark model in the first square, a few grey copies to trace, then blank squares.
Which grid to choose
- Tian zi ge (田字格): a square with a cross. The standard grid in schools in China and the best one to start with.
- Mi zi ge (米字格): a cross plus two diagonals. The extra lines help with slanting strokes and are popular for brush and calligraphy practice.
- Hui gong ge (回宫格): a square inside the square. It trains you to keep the body of the character compact in the centre.
Adding pinyin
Type the pinyin for your characters with tone numbers, such as ni3 hao3, and it is printed above each character with proper tone marks: nǐ hǎo. The built-in lists already include pinyin and meanings. The second tab converts any pinyin with numbers into tone marks to copy into your own documents.
Common questions
How do I get a PDF? Press “Print or save as PDF” and choose “Save as PDF” in the print window, with margins set to “None”.
Which font should I use? Kai (楷体) looks like careful handwriting with a brush or pen and is the model used in schoolbooks. Song and Hei are print styles, useful for reading practice but not as handwriting models. If your device has no Kai font, the browser falls back to its default Chinese font.
Can I use traditional characters? Yes. Type or paste any characters and they are laid out the same way.
How big should the squares be? About 15 mm suits most learners. Young children and brush practice need 18 to 20 mm; adults writing with a fine pen can use 12 mm.