Frequently Asked Questions

CharacterFlow is a free, open-source tool for learning correct Chinese character stroke order. It provides:

• 1,100+ common characters covering HSK levels 1-6
• Animated demonstrations showing proper stroke sequence
• Interactive practice with real-time feedback
• Quiz mode to test your knowledge

There are three ways to use CharacterFlow:

• Browse Mode: Visit the Characters page and click any character to see its stroke order animation
• Practice Mode: On the homepage, enter a character and click "Animate" to watch the stroke order
• Quiz Mode: Click "Quiz" to practice writing and get real-time feedback on your stroke order

Yes! CharacterFlow is 100% free and open-source under the MIT license. There are no subscriptions, paywalls, or hidden fees. It's a completely free educational tool available to everyone worldwide.

Correct stroke order is crucial for several reasons:

• Authenticity: Makes your characters look more natural and professional
• Speed: Proper stroke order allows faster writing
• Recognition: Helps with reading and recognizing similar characters
• Memory: Following consistent patterns aids character memorization
• Calligraphy: Essential for traditional Chinese calligraphy

The 8 fundamental rules of Chinese stroke order:

• Top to bottom: 三 (sān)
• Left to right: 川 (chuān)
• Horizontal before vertical: 十 (shí)
• Outside before inside: 月 (yuè)
• Middle before sides: 小 (xiǎo)
• Enclosing strokes last: 国 (guó)
• Left-falling before right-falling: 人 (rén)
• Dots last: 我 (wǒ)

It depends on your goals:

• Basic communication: 300 characters (HSK 1-2)
• Intermediate proficiency: 600 characters (HSK 1-4)
• Advanced fluency: 1,200+ characters (HSK 1-6)
• Chinese literacy: 2,000-3,000 characters

Start with our HSK 1 characters if you're a beginner.

We recommend starting with:

1. HSK 1 characters - The 150 most basic characters
2. Common radicals - Learn the building blocks of characters
3. Personal pronouns - 我 (I), 你 (you), 他 (he), 她 (she)
4. Numbers - 一, 二, 三, 四, 五...

Check out our Learning Paths for structured guidance.

HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, 汉语水平考试) is the standardized Chinese proficiency test for non-native speakers. It assesses your ability to use Chinese in daily, academic, and professional life.

• HSK 1-2 (Beginner): 300 characters, basic conversation
• HSK 3-4 (Intermediate): 600+ characters, daily communication
• HSK 5-6 (Advanced): 1,200+ characters, professional proficiency

CharacterFlow covers 1,100+ essential characters across these levels.

1. Go to any character page or enter a character on the homepage
2. Click the "Quiz" button
3. Draw each stroke following the on-screen prompts
4. The system validates your stroke order in real-time
5. Green checkmark = correct, red X = try again

Yes! CharacterFlow is fully responsive and works on smartphones and tablets. The touch interface allows you to practice writing characters directly on your screen.

CharacterFlow works on all modern browsers:

• Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari
• Mobile browsers (iOS Safari, Chrome Mobile)
• Requires JavaScript enabled