The First Forty Words 开始写的四十个字

After knowing the brush techniques, it is time to start writing. Chinese believe that constant practice according to masterful models was the only means to leading to mastery and perfection. So the three key words are, practice, practice, and practice.

We have noted that new learner should start with writing kaishu (the standard style). It is better to write few words and correctly apply all writing techniques than to write many words without paying attention to the proven techniques.

The famous Eight Principles of Yong says that one should start with practising the eight strokes common in Chinese characters. It is also believed that the frequent practice of these principles as a beginning calligrapher could ensure beauty in one's writing.

While it is possible to start with writing the character ‘yong’ (meaning forever, lasting) which is said to have contained all the eight basic strokes, one may find such an approach rather monotonous and boring. The recommended approach is to practice four words at each practice session starting with words with simple strokes and moving to words with other strokes progressively. As we write these words, we should apply the brush techniques faithfully and learn the principles of the structure of these characters.

Here are the first forty words recommended:

01．横划：一、二、三、土 (Horizontal stroke）

02．竖划：十、士、上、正 (Vertical stroke)

03．撇划：千、川、在、生 (Slanting toward lower left)

04。横折：中、日、且、者 (Horizontal and vertically turn downward)

05。捺划：人、大、合、尺 (Slanting toward lower right)

06。钩划：水、子、而、可 (Hook to the northwest direction)

07。单点：文、不、方、太 (Single dot)

08。多点：心、六、必、为 (Multiple dots)

09。竖横钩：也、先、光、元 (Vertical and horizontally turn rightward and hook upward)

10．提划：以、孰、即、指 (Lifting off northeast direction)
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知道什么是笔法之后，是开始写字的时候了。华人相信持久地跟着范本来练习是达成熟练与完善的唯一途径。所以三个要诀就是：练习、练习、练习。

我们知道初学者应该从楷书开始。宁愿写少字来掌握正确的笔法，而不要不顾已被证明的笔法去多写字。

著名的‘永字八法’认为应该先写好八种在中文最常见的基本的笔划。一般相信初学者时常练习这原理会确保字写得好。

虽然可以从练习包含了这八种基本笔划的‘永’字开始，但是这种练法单调而令人厌烦。提议每次练习四字，有简单笔划的字开始慢慢地伸延到包含其它笔划的字。在书写时，应该忠实地应用所有笔法与了解这些字的结构原理。

以下是提议的四十个初写字：

01．横划：一、二、三、土

02．竖划：十、士、上、正

03．撇划：千、川、在、生

04。横折：中、日、且、者

05。捺划：人、大、合、尺

06。钩划：水、子、而、可

07。单点：文、不、方、太

08。多点：心、六、必、为

09。竖横钩：也、先、光、元

10．提划：以、孰、即、指