To be more specific, we are discussing how Chinese characters can be classified by appearance based on their structures. English words only have one structure – the alphabets are arranged like dominoes one after another from left to right. In contrast, Chinese characters have dozens of structure types. This is one reason they are confusing to beginners. If you are not able to see the ‘invisible lines’ in characters – their structures, then it is difficult for you to distinguish between them. Read more about the ‘Similarities and Differences between Chinese and English’.
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By learning these basic structures, you will be able to decode most characters. The simplest structure is ‘Single stroke’ (characters with just one stroke). Some characters are 'Single Alphabet'. Characters with more than one alphabet or stroke are combined according to the Standard Part Order, Intersecting Part Order or Unique Part Order.
Structures of Chinese Characters
The types of structures mentioned above apply to characters with not more than 6 parts. What about characters with more complex structures? They can be derived by combining these basic structures. The tip is not to get too confused with all the different types of structures, these basic ones will suffice and you will be able to decode complex ones with a good understanding of the basic structures.
Characters with Complex Structures
Read more about the structures of Chinese characters
Learn what the Standard Part Order of Chinese characters. There are 7 Standard Part Order Rules.
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