Learn Chinese qTRAILS Alphabets

FAQ on Chinese qTRAILS Alphabets:

1. What are qTRAILS Alphabets?

They are the common elements extracted from more than 5,000 frequently-used simplified Chinese characters and arranged into 32 stroke patterns (qTRAILS) (pronounced as 'q-TRAILS).

2. Are all Chinese characters made up of qTRAILS Alphabets?

Most of the simplified characters are made up of qTRAILS Alphabets except for characters that have only one stroke or are made up of single strokes.

All other characters are either a qTRAILS Alphabet or made up of qTRAILS Alphabet(s) and stroke(s).

3. How are qTRAILS Alphabets and strokes combined to form Chinese characters?

The two common ways of combining them is from left to right (like English words) and from top to bottom. As characters are written within a square, there are a dozen ways of combining them. See examples below.

The qTRAILS Alphabets and strokes can be combined by placing them apart from one another or bonding them to one another or making them cross one another.

4. What are the advantages of learning characters using qTRAILS Alphabets?

a) There are fewer components to remember

See the example below. Instead of remembering 20 strokes, you only have to remember 5 parts.

b) The same components are repeated in different characters

c) Stroke order is learnt systematically

Alphabets with the same stroke order are grouped together for easy memory.

d) Focus on appearance

It used to be very difficult to describe the appearance of Chinese characters and their components. By comparing qTRAILS Alphabets and strokes to objects that look like them and you are also already familiar, taps on your prior knowledge.