Interactive Architectural Anatomy of Chinese Writing

Character Structure Lab (汉字结构研习室)

Chinese characters are not arbitrary scribbles. They follow strict geometric layouts with balanced proportions. Learn the 7 architectural blueprints to intuitively recognize, write, and remember any character.

Left: 30%

Right: 70%

好

Rule of Thumb: 1 : 2 or 1 : 1 width proportion

左右结构(Zuǒ Yòu Jiégòu)

Left-Right Structure

The character is divided vertically into two parts. Typically the left side is the semantic radical (meaning) and the right side gives phonetic sound or secondary meaning. Left component is often compressed narrower.

Decomposition of 好 (hǎo):

Part 1:女 (female)

Part 2:子 (child)

Select other characters with 左右结构: