Being a Leftie

[sych]

I came across another left-handed westerner in the library at my school the other day, so I just had to go up to him and ask him if he's as frustrated with learning to write Chinese left-handed as I have been

Comments

[quog]

Interesting that you made it to result 9 on a Google search for chinese script left handers almost as soon as you posted.

[mooose]

This character demonstrates what happens to lines drawn diagonally from top left to bottom right, top right to bottom left. Notice that the stroke drawn from top-right to bottom-left (kinda like this: /) starts with a relatively thick line and ends with a relatively thin one; the top-left to bottom-right stroke (\) starts light (thin) and ends heavy (thick).

While my handwriting in Chinese is admittedly crap, the only time I reckon these things are important, along with the right end of a 横 stroke being slightly thicker, is when you're doing calligraphy with a brush. If you're using a pen or a pencil, then you can pretty much forget about getting all those little bits right. You should get handwritten notes from your Chinese friends there - cos they tend to use a slightly more 'cursive' form (by cursive I simply mean a form which is quicker to write, with the pen leaving the paper less often, but still aesthetically pleasing)

[butterscotch711]

I'm left handed too. My main problem so far has been that writing characters makes my wrist really sore! But then, I barely ever write anything by hand any more.

I have given up on writing them nicely from the outset :P I just care that they are legible.

[if_iwereyou]

hey im a lefthanded also but it isnt that difficult to write with a left hand la haha!:)
r u a chinese or learning chinese?

[sych]

Learning Chinese. Yourself?