Find a Chinese Character by Drawing It
Draw the character you saw on a menu or a shop sign, then tap it in the list. You don't need its pinyin, and you don't need the right stroke order.
Start drawing. Matches appear here after each stroke.
How to find a Chinese character by drawing it
- 1
Draw it in the box. Use your finger on a phone or your mouse on a computer. Draw it large enough to fill the box.
- 2
Watch the suggestions. They update under the box after every stroke. If the right character isn't there yet, keep drawing. Undo removes your last stroke and Clear starts over. There's no button to press when you finish. You just stop drawing.
- 3
Tap the match. It opens that character's page on Hanzi Express, with its pinyin, meaning, stroke order and example words.
Chinese handwriting lookup in your browser
This is Chinese handwriting recognition that runs in your browser. Draw one character with your finger or mouse and it finds the match, so there's nothing to install and no keyboard to set up. If you need to find a Chinese character online and can't type it, this is a Chinese character lookup by drawing, and it works on iPhone, Android or a computer.
Your phone can read handwriting too. iPhone and Android both let you add a Chinese handwriting keyboard in settings, but you have to add it first, and it only types the character. It doesn't tell you what the character means. Here you tap the match and land on its page.
From a drawing to the English meaning
Draw a Chinese character, tap the match, and the English meaning is on the next page, along with the pinyin, stroke order and example words. The character identifier works on one character at a time. It doesn't translate words or sentences, so for a word or a line on a menu, look up each character in turn.
Characters you'll see on signs and menus
A sign or a menu is often where you meet a character you can't read. Here are some you'll see often, each linked to its page.
On signs
Frequently asked questions
Does stroke order matter?
No. Neither order nor direction makes any difference, and messy shapes are fine. We built it for learners who don't know the correct stroke order yet. What does help is drawing every stroke, even if you draw them in the wrong order.
Is this a Chinese handwriting input?
No. It doesn't type into other apps. It's a lookup tool that takes you from a drawing to the character's page. If you want to type Chinese by hand, add the handwriting keyboard on your iPhone or Android. Use this when you want to know what a character means.
Can it translate a whole sign or menu?
No. It identifies one character at a time and doesn't translate words or sentences. For a sign or a menu line, draw each character in turn and read its meaning on its page.
Why can't it find my character?
The tool covers the 3,002 characters of HSK 3.0, from level 1 to levels 7-9. Those are the characters with a page on Hanzi Express, so rarer ones won't be found. If your character is in HSK, try drawing it larger so it fills the box, and check you haven't skipped a stroke. The list also sharpens as you add strokes, so keep going before you give up.
Two characters look almost the same. Which one is mine?
Lookalikes such as 土 and 士, or 已 and 己, appear side by side in the suggestions. Tap the one that matches what you saw, then check the meaning on its page.
Is my drawing uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything runs on your device, and the drawing is not sent anywhere.
Does it work on iPhone and Android?
Yes. It was designed for phones, so drawing with your finger is the main way to use it. It also works on a computer with a mouse.
Is it free?
Yes. It's free and there's no signup.
When would I use this?
When you see a character on a sign, a menu, a package or in a textbook and can't type it because you don't know its pinyin. Draw it here, tap the match, and the pinyin is on the next page.
More free tools
Found your character and want to learn to write it? The free Chinese character worksheet generator makes stroke order sheets for any characters you choose. Not sure where you stand? Take the HSK level test, or browse every character by level in the HSK 3.0 character lists.