Chinese Characters · Pinyin · Meanings · Examples

Learn Chinese Characters,
One Stroke at a Time.

Chinese doesn't have an alphabet — each Chinese letter is a character with its own meaning and pronunciation. Look one up, check its pinyin and meaning, watch its verified stroke order, then practise it on a Tian Zi Ge pad.

Start Learning Explore Characters

Pinyin & meanings verified

Unicode-licensed character data

Free · no sign-up

你

nǐ

You (singular, informal)

7 strokes

你

Stroke-by-stroke animation is on every character page.

Everything You Need to Master Hanzi

Four specialized learning environments built to take you from first stroke to fluent writing.

Learn Basic Strokes

Understand the 8 foundational stroke rules (横, 竖, 撇, 捺), directions, and pressure techniques.

Start Strokes

Explore Characters

Search by Hanzi, pinyin or English meaning, with radicals, common words and example sentences.

Browse Dictionary

Practice Writing

Interactive digital Tian Zi Ge canvas with instant stroke count and proportion evaluation.

Launch Canvas

Create Worksheets

Generate clean, classroom-ready US Letter or A4 printable Chinese handwriting practice sheets.

Open Generator

Learn by Level

Vocabulary targets from the official HSK lists. Progress tracking is not available yet, so every level shows 0%.

Complete BeginnerBeginner

Pinyin, basic strokes, first essential words

Characters30

Vocabulary60

Progress0%

HSK 1HSK 1

Foundational conversation & basic grammar

Characters150

Vocabulary150

Progress0%

HSK 2HSK 2

Daily activities, shopping & transport

Characters300

Vocabulary300

Progress0%

HSK 3HSK 3

Work, travel, hobbies & compound radicals

Characters600

Vocabulary600

Progress0%

HSK 4HSK 4

Fluency on a wide range of social topics

Characters1200

Vocabulary1200

Progress0%

HSK 5HSK 5

Newspapers, cinema & complex essays

Characters2500

Vocabulary2500

Progress0%

Printable & Classroom Tools

Create Beautiful Custom Chinese Worksheets in Seconds

Design pixel-perfect Tian Zi Ge and Mi Zi Ge worksheets tailored to your student or child's current level. Print on US Letter or A4 with stroke order breakdowns and pinyin.

Printable practice sheets

Turn any character into a Tian Zi Ge worksheet

Pick a character, choose a grid and page size, then print it — or save it as PDF from your browser's print dialog.

Open Worksheet Generator →

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Chinese have an alphabet?

No. Chinese does not use an alphabet. It is written with characters, and every character stands for both a meaning and a spoken syllable — 你 already means “you”, it is not a letter that builds a word. Pinyin, the Roman-letter system shown above every character here, is only a pronunciation guide, which is why our pinyin chart exists alongside the character dictionary.

What are “Chinese letters” called?

They are called characters (汉字, hànzì). English speakers often say “letters”, but a Chinese character works more like a whole word than like a single letter. You can see this immediately on any character page: each one carries its own pinyin, meaning, stroke order and example words.

How do I start learning?

Start with one character and go slowly. Open a character page, read its pinyin and meaning, watch the stroke animation, then write it yourself on the handwriting practice pad. When a character feels familiar, add the next one from the dictionary.

How many characters do I need to know?

Roughly 3,000 characters cover the great majority of everyday reading, but the first few hundred already unlock a lot. The 30 characters on this site are a starting set, chosen because they show up constantly in beginner vocabulary. Each one has a full page with words and example sentences, and you can list them all in the dictionary.

Do I have to learn the tones?

Yes. Tone is part of the word: mā (妈, mother), má (麻, hemp), mǎ (马, horse) and mà (骂, to scold) are four different words, not four pronunciations of one word. Ignoring tones is the most common reason learners are not understood. The four tones guide shows each contour with real example characters.

Can I practise writing and print worksheets?

Yes. Every character page has a writing pad with an outline and an X-ray guide that shows the direction of each stroke. If you want paper, the worksheet generator turns any character into a Tian Zi Ge sheet with the stroke count and pinyin, ready for A4 or US Letter printing.

Learn Chinese Characters, One Stroke at a Time.

Everything You Need to Master Hanzi

Learn Basic Strokes

Explore Characters

Practice Writing

Create Worksheets

Learn by Level

Essential Characters

Create Beautiful Custom Chinese Worksheets in Seconds

Turn any character into a Tian Zi Ge worksheet

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Chinese have an alphabet?

What are “Chinese letters” called?

How do I start learning?

How many characters do I need to know?

Do I have to learn the tones?

Can I practise writing and print worksheets?

Learn Chinese Characters,
One Stroke at a Time.