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588 posts · page 26 of 49.

Chinese ink painting of a scholar crossing a stone bridge beneath the calligraphy 學而時習不亦說乎, illustrating whether learning simplified and traditional at once is bad
Essays

Is Learning Simplified and Traditional at Once Bad?

Learning both character sets simultaneously is doable but usually slows beginners through interference. Here is when to focus on one and when learning both makes sense.

Lawrence Arya··5 min
Ink-wash scene of a sage on a cliff with calligraphy 行稳致远 (steady steps reach far), illustrating freezing on a bank slip after years in Shanghai
Essays

Froze on a Bank Slip After 5 Years in Shanghai? Normal

Living in Shanghai for years and freezing on a handwritten bank slip is not a failure, it is character amnesia from typing. The slip needs a small fixed set you can relearn fast.

Lawrence Arya··5 min
Ink-wash mountains and pavilions with cranes in flight under the calligraphy 山水清音, illustrating Japanese kanji versus Chinese hanzi stroke order differences in a tracker app
Playbooks

Japanese Kanji vs Chinese Hanzi Stroke Order

Kanji and hanzi often share a character but write it in a different stroke order. Here is where they diverge and how to retrain your hand for Chinese.

Lawrence Arya··5 min
Ink-wash mountains and pavilions with cranes in flight under the calligraphy 山水清音, illustrating a kanji to hanzi translation overlay drawing tablet tool
Playbooks

From Kanji to Hanzi: Bridging the Two by Hand

Know Japanese kanji and learning Chinese? The forms and stroke orders differ in traps. Here is why an overlay is not enough and how to retrain your hand.

Lawrence Arya··5 min
Chinese ink painting of a scholar crossing a stone bridge beneath the calligraphy 學而時習不亦說乎, illustrating a keyboard macro shortcut to toggle hiding the pinyin overlay during writing practice
Playbooks

A Macro to Toggle the Pinyin While You Practice

Want a shortcut to hide and show the pinyin during writing practice? The instinct is right: hiding the prompt forces recall. Here is why, and how to use it.

Lawrence Arya··5 min
Ink-wash scene of a sage on a cliff with calligraphy 行稳致远 (steady steps reach far), illustrating kinesthetic alternatives to rigid spaced repetition for tactile learners
Research

Kinesthetic Alternatives to Rigid SRS for Tactile Learners

Spaced repetition isn't the enemy, rigid card-flipping is. For tactile, ADHD, or dysgraphic learners, handwriting is itself kinesthetic, so from-memory writing is the hands-on version of SRS.

Lawrence Arya··5 min
Chinese ink painting with calligraphy 字里乾坤 and a scholar by red plum blossom at sunset, illustrating writing practice for Mandarin logistics terms
Playbooks

Writing Practice for Mandarin Logistics Terms

Shipping, freight, and container work uses a recurring set of Mandarin terms. Here is how to learn to write that specialized vocabulary by hand, honestly told.

Lawrence Arya··5 min
Chinese ink-wash mountains and pavilions with cranes in flight under the calligraphy 山水清音, illustrating daily Mandarin writing streaks beyond tracing
Essays

Daily Mandarin Writing Streaks (Beyond Tracing)

A daily streak is a great habit anchor, but a tracing streak builds the wrong skill. Here is how to keep the daily habit while practising recall, not just tracing.

Lawrence Arya··5 min
Chinese ink painting of a scholar crossing a stone bridge beneath the calligraphy 學而時習不亦說乎, illustrating searching for a lifetime-unlock or discount on a Mandarin writing practice app
Playbooks

A Lifetime-Unlock Mandarin Writing App?

Hunting Reddit for a lifetime unlock or discount on a Mandarin writing app? Here is an honest take on subscription fatigue and what free-or-owned options exist.

Lawrence Arya··5 min