Playbooks
Chunking 15-Stroke Characters Into a Story
A 15-stroke character is overwhelming as strokes but manageable as a few components. Here is how to chunk complex characters and still learn to write them.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
How to Memorize the 214 Radicals Fast
The 214 Kangxi radicals are the building blocks of characters. Here is how to learn them fast by meaning groups and writing, not by flashcard grind.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
Using Hanzi to Train Working Memory in Adults
Learning Hanzi leans hard on working memory through chunking. Here is how to practice in a way that exercises it, and an honest note on what to expect.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Essays
Is Spatial Rote Learning Outdated for Mandopop Fans?
Rote learning has a bad name, but spatial, component-based character practice is not mindless repetition. Here is the difference, and what actually works.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Essays
When the Character Evaporates Mid-Stroke
You start writing a character and it vanishes halfway. Here is what to do in the moment, and how to stop it happening, by anchoring to components.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Essays
Writing biáng, the Longest Chinese Character
biáng, the famous many-stroke character for a noodle dish, looks impossible. Here is how to write it by chunking it into familiar components, like any character.
Lawrence Arya··5 min