Is it Necessary to Write Chinese Characters by Hand?

Why it is necessary to write Chinese characters by hand

1. Writing is an active way of processing characters and helps to build muscle memory

2. Writing helps us feel the magical connections between the strokes

3. Writing makes us notice subtle differences between characters

4. Writing gives us the skill to create beautiful personalised handwritten cards, letters ...

Why it is NOT necessary to write Chinese characters by hand

1. Smart phones and computers eliminate the need to write by hand

Smart phones and computers, which use phonetic input systems, limit the selection of characters after pronunciation is inputted using Hanyu pinyin. Users do not have to remember the characters in detail but just input characters like how they do for English words.

2. Writing Chinese characters is time-consuming, taking a very long time to learn

Time used on writing could be better spent on learning other aspects of the language.

3. Learn Chinese visually through colours

If there is a way to remember characters systematically using colours, then memorization effort could be greatly reduced.

Colours could help us learn the Part Order and Stroke Order of characters ... memory at a glance! Read more about Using Colours to Learn Chinese

Making Decision How to Learn Chinese

Whether you decide to learn Chinese by writing or visually is really your own preference. Alternatively, you can combine both ways of learning.

Visual learning is faster and can cover more scope while writing can be used to distinguish differences between similar-looking characters or help to reinforce the learning of complex characters. This could be a more effective way of learning than relying solely on writing.

For young children who have weak hand muscles and lack hand dexterity, then visual learning is a faster way for them to learn characters.