Characters · beginner set
The first 58 characters.
In stroke count order, which is roughly the order they get harder to write. Each one has its own page with stroke order to watch and trace, where the shape came from, three words that use it, and the mistake learners actually make.
Printable character chart, free for classroom use.
These are simplified characters, the standard in mainland China and Singapore. Where the traditional form differs it is shown on the character page as a reference.
How to learn them without drowning
Components, not pictures
Most characters are built from a handful of repeating parts. Learn the parts and a new character becomes two or three things you already know.
Write, do not stare
Recognition and production are different skills. Tracing with the right stroke order is what makes a character stick, which is why every page here has a writing box.
Words, not characters
Almost nothing in modern Chinese is one character long. Learn each character inside two or three real words and you gain vocabulary at the same time.