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Learn to Write Chinese Characters (Yale Language Series)

by Johan Björkstén (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars 24 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-0300057713
ISBN-10: 0300057717
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Frequently Bought Together

  • Learn to Write Chinese Characters (Yale Language Series)
  • +
  • The First 100 Chinese Characters: Simplified Character Edition: (HSK Level 1) The Quick and Easy Way to Learn the Basic Chinese Characters (Tuttle Language Library)
  • +
  • Tuttle Learning Chinese Characters: (HSK Levels 1 -3) A Revolutionary New Way to Learn and Remember the 800 Most Basic Chinese Characters
Total price: $54.86
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Product Details

  • Series: Yale Language Series
  • Paperback: 123 pages
  • Publisher: Yale University Press (August 31, 1994)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0300057717
  • ISBN-13: 978-0300057713
  • Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.3 x 9.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #102,478 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsStart with this book.
By Elbert D. Porter on December 29, 2001
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
This book teaches the principles of sound and beautiful writing - the names of the strokes, the order in which they are written, aesthetic principles, and the common radicals. Then it provides a famous poem to practice with, and a list of a hundred common characters, sorted by frequency of usage. When the simplified character differs from the traditional, both are given. Transliterations are in pin-yin. This is far and away the best book I've found for learning to write the characters. I regretted the transition away from this book to other resources, principally because other resources usually use the printed form that ignores the aesthetic principles and turns beauty into ugliness. That sounds harsh, doesn't it? But it's true! If you're going to learn to write, start with this book, so you won't have to go back later to correct bad habits.
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5.0 out of 5 starsDo Not Try This At Home (without this text!!)
By Lisbeth West on November 25, 2002
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I have just started learning to write Chinese characters and THIS is the holy grail of beiginners' books. I looked through many listmania and reviews on Amazon.com's site (thank you ALL!) and decided to start with this primer. As a hands-on learner, I know now why it has been recommended so highly by those who teach, speak, or are just learning the Chinese language.
I am reminded of the first days in school when we had to practice writing our ABCs on a tablet with pencil. We wrote those damned letters over and over again, didn't we? The teacher stood at the blackboard and showed us the best way to make the lines and the order of the "character's strokes."
This book is the Mrs. Hatfield of my first grade class in Chinese. Each stroke is shown carefully. Each stroke is also shown when it is not written correctly and gives the "name" of the error (eg. "fish hook, etc.)
Tao only knows how a Swedish author conceived of and wrote such a wonderful primer to the language. It makes sense, however, that a person whose first language is NOT Chinese would be so specific about the right and wrong way to hold the pen, use the correct posture and table angle, and keep "between the lines."
I don't get too hard on myself when I can't make a character look the way they does in the book. I look back at how I wrote my name in first grade and now understand the true meaning of "penmanship". The author urges the learner to practice each stroke at least one hundred times until you go on to the next stroke. Add them together and you get a beautiful character. Don't practice each stroke individually over the course of days and many sheets of paper, and the character resemble the rough letters I wrote in my first grade homeworlk.Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsA book perfect in its kind
By tepi on February 4, 2001
Format: Paperback
This book should be at the head of everyone's list, since it is devoted to a skill which almost all sinologists neglect, whether professional or amateur, and yet is one that is the source of enormous pleasure and gratification - the ability to form Chinese Characters (Jpn. kanji) well. It is a short manual of just 122 pages which, after a brief account of the history and structure of characters, some instruction on how to look them up in a dictionary, and a little about their aesthetics, goes on to teach the user all of the main strokes by using the radicals as models. The book ends with a short list of suggested readings, and a brief guide to Chinese pronunciation. Unlike most other manuals of Chinese Calligraphy, which teach the student how to write with the traditional brush, this teaches the art of writing with a pen, and the models Bjorksten provides for copying, unlike those in many other manuals written for Westerners, are excellent. A book perfect in its kind, and not to be missed.
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4.0 out of 5 starsUseful even for beginning learners
By A Customer on October 31, 2000
Format: Paperback
I like _Learn to Write Chinese Characters_ a lot, though I think the title is deceptive--it isn't a textbook that will teach you stroke order and meaning of a full range of characters, it's a guide to writing Chinese elegantly. If you've never written characters before, this book is intimidating. Most students of Chinese want to write legibly without doing calligraphy. That said, I've still found the book very useful. It's difficult to write characters that look at all acceptable without paying attention to at least some of the principles set forth in it. Author and translator manage to give you a sense of what's distinctive about Chinese characters that tends to be lacking in textbooks. A fun book for learners, but I'd advise that one start writing with textbook aid and then look at the book for help.
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4.0 out of 5 starsNot a primer, but good in its own right
By Bill W on February 3, 2004
Format: Paperback
I'm learning Chinese as part of my major and wanted a good book on characters, specifically for things like stroke order, and picked this up expecting it to be a practical tutorial on how to write basic Chinese characters. What it actually is is more of a guidebook for calligraphy. Now, as that, it is very good. The author definitely conveys the mindset one needs to be a skilled calligrapher, and gives great step by step instructions on how to write well. For that, I don't regret picking this up. However, if you, like myself, are more concerned with learning how to write the 2000 or so most used characters towards the end of being functionally literate in Chinese, this is not the book to purchase. It would be something like teaching calligraphy to kindergarten students. Also, the stroke order illustrations for the characters towards the end of the book, while representing commonly used characters, are really small, and presume that you've gone through the prior half of the book as recommended, that is practicing each stroke for a half hour a day until mastered. If you're learning calligraphy for it's own sake, or just have lots of time, this is great. If however you need to develop a functional writing ability in Chinese relatively quickly, I would personally recommend buying another book first and coming back to this.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsFour Stars

Foreigners write funny but it's fun to learn how.

Published 15 months ago by William P. Crichton
5.0 out of 5 starsThe mature learner's book

This is really the only book that teaches character writing as a discipline to an adult English-speaking audience. Read more

Published 16 months ago by David Di Bella
1.0 out of 5 starsOverpriced, borrow the book, from the library, if feasible

Overpriced when purchased, in 2002, and still overpriced, at today’s prices, in Amazon. No ROI with this book. Read more

Published 20 months ago by anonymous
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

No comment

Published 22 months ago by Jessie Emerson
4.0 out of 5 starsIntro. to Characters

I really enjoy this book. It has much interesting and useful information so one can understand characters. It is a great tool.

Published on March 14, 2013 by Ron Sugar
5.0 out of 5 starsFun and relaxing Chinese writing

The book is clearly written, outlining the classic methodology to learn written Chinese. It is definitely worth the money, especially for anyone serious a out learning Chinese.

Published on July 7, 2012 by Aeolus
5.0 out of 5 starsPerfect book for getting started

This is a truly wonderful volume. Its purpose is, literally, to teach HOW to write Chinese characters. Read more

Published on July 28, 2011 by Kuru
2.0 out of 5 starsGood knowledge but very poorly presented and hard to use

The author is clearly well-versed in the topic of Chinese character writing, and provides a good background for people who want to learn how to write characters - the system of... Read more

Published on December 31, 2010 by Michael C. Berch
4.0 out of 5 starsVery interesting book

I enjoyed reading this - I loved the examples it gave, and it's easy-to-read format.

Published on November 21, 2009 by A. E. Parnell
2.0 out of 5 starsNot quite as easy as suggested.

This book falls far short of its promise to teach you to write chinese charcters. It starts off fine then it all runs together and when your done you neither have the motivation or... Read more

Published on May 24, 2009 by Linda Mills

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