<p>As someone uses chinese daily, i dont think there is much of a difference if people can identify and understand what you are saying. Words itself is just a tool to express your thought, as longs as others understand, its not a problem. Just wrote them simular in length and the whole shape looks like the word, and tell others that your handwriting is poor, then nobody would be mad.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-14T16:37:45.653Z
2020-04-14T16:37:45.653Z
SodaWithoutSparkles
<p>As an upper-left part of a character, the length of the <em>left-downward</em> (撇) stroke in the shape 「」 is determined by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroke_order#Stroke_order_per_polity" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>traditional*</em> or <em>calligraphic</em> stroke order</a> of the entire 「」 shape. Specifically, the <em>left-downward</em> stroke among characters where the stroke is <strong>written first</strong> appear to have a <strong>shorter</strong> length than those where it is <strong>written second</strong>.</p>
<p>Whether or not the <em>left-downward</em> stroke is written first or second in the shape 「」 depends on the object underneath it. Adapted from the Japanese SE answer I wrote <a href="https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/59820/%e5%8f%b3-and-%e7%9f%b3-stroke-order-differences/59822#59822">here</a> to the question <a href="https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/59820/%E5%8F%B3-and-%E7%9F%B3-stroke-order-differences">右 and 石 stroke order differences</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The order that「」is written depends on the object underneath it. If the component underneath it doesn't exceed the horizontal stroke of「」(e.g. 右、有、布), then write the <em>left-downward</em> stroke first; otherwise (e.g. 友、左) write the <em>horizontal</em> stroke first.</p>
<h1>Examples (mined from jisho.org):</h1>
<p>Bottom component narrower than horizontal stroke of 「」</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/DQH1F.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/DQH1F.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>Bottom component wider than horizontal stroke of 「」</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/jOnJ8.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/jOnJ8.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>I will emphasise that this description of the stroke length's relation to the stroke order only works within the framework of the <em>calligraphic stroke order</em>, and that no education standard<sup>†</sup> actually prescribes the <em>calligraphic stroke order</em> as a standard. Neither the Taiwanese (ROC) nor the Mainland Chinese (PRC) stroke order standards write 「右」 in a manner which is consistent with the calligraphic stroke order:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/fARXG.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/fARXG.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p><sub>Credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%E5%8F%B3-bw.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer">M4RC0</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%E5%8F%B3-bw.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer">licensed</a> under CC BY 3.0</sub></p>
<hr />
<p><sub>*Not to be confused with <em>Traditional Chinese</em>. The <em>traditional</em> or <em>calligraphic</em> stroke order is the order used in Imperial China, and not attached to any education department of a modern government.</sub></p>
<p><sub><sup>†</sup>The closest educational standard to the calligraphic stroke order is actually from <em>Japan</em>. For all of the the characters mined from jisho.org, the <em>Japanese stroke order</em> matches the <em>calligraphic stroke order</em>.</sub></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-16T12:08:38.087Z
interesting, i always write the horizontal stroke first, then the left-downward stroke, for the mentioned characters 
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-16T12:20:43.333Z
@水巷孑蠻 If you write the left downward stroke first for 右, it will be easier to write and recognise cursive :)
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-16T12:31:19.583Z
errr . . . in recent years, i deliberately changed my hand-writing. i liked to write 隸書, by fountain pen 
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-16T11:40:54.833Z
2020-04-16T11:46:49.693Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
dROOOze
<p>I just noticed than the 撇 (piě, left-downward stroke, also called &quot;throw&quot;) in 左 looks longer than the 撇 in 右 when you type it.</p>
<p>Is this true? Is it an important distinction? If so, why?</p>
<p>Is there some rule for using the longer vs shorter 撇?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-14T14:41:07.007Z
If you want to find some logic behind it, the logic of the length is determined by Chinese **calligraphy** stroke order; the second stroke is always longer, and you write 撇 second in  左 while first in 右. The modern stroke orders of PRC and ROC don't follow calligraphy stroke order, so there is no logic behind it. For the calligraphy stroke order, see https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/59820/%e5%8f%b3-and-%e7%9f%b3-stroke-order-differences/59822#59822
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-14T15:26:07.387Z
@dROOOze That link answered my question. Give it to me as an answer and I'll give it to you.
Kantura
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-14T17:48:37.310Z
@dROOOze I am just about to say the stroke order.... But you get there first..
Toosky Hierot
<orthography>
Is the 撇 in 左 longer than the 撇 in 右?
# Is the 撇 in 左 longer than the 撇 in 右?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-04-14)

I just noticed than the 撇 (piě, left-downward stroke, also called "throw") in 左 looks longer than the 撇 in 右 when you type it.

Is this true? Is it an important distinction? If so, why?

Is there some rule for using the longer vs shorter 撇?

**Tags:** orthography

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: If you want to find some logic behind it, the logic of the length is determined by Chinese **calligraphy** stroke order; the second stroke is always longer, and you write 撇 second in  左 while first in 右. The modern stroke orders of PRC and ROC don't follow calligraphy stroke order, so there is no logic behind it. For the calligraphy stroke order, see https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/59820/%e5%8f%b3-and-%e7%9f%b3-stroke-order-differences/59822#59822  
> **username_0**: @username_1 That link answered my question. Give it to me as an answer and I'll give it to you.  
> **username_2**: @username_1 I am just about to say the stroke order.... But you get there first..  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-04-16. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

As an upper-left part of a character, the length of the *left-downward* (撇) stroke in the shape 「」 is determined by the [*traditional\** or *calligraphic* stroke order](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroke_order#Stroke_order_per_polity) of the entire 「」 shape. Specifically, the *left-downward* stroke among characters where the stroke is **written first** appear to have a **shorter** length than those where it is **written second**.

Whether or not the *left-downward* stroke is written first or second in the shape 「」 depends on the object underneath it. Adapted from the Japanese SE answer I wrote [here](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/59820/%e5%8f%b3-and-%e7%9f%b3-stroke-order-differences/59822#59822) to the question [右 and 石 stroke order differences](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/59820/%E5%8F%B3-and-%E7%9F%B3-stroke-order-differences):

> The order that「」is written depends on the object underneath it. If the component underneath it doesn't exceed the horizontal stroke of「」(e.g. 右、有、布), then write the *left-downward* stroke first; otherwise (e.g. 友、左) write the *horizontal* stroke first.
>
> # Examples (mined from jisho.org):
>
> Bottom component narrower than horizontal stroke of 「」
>
> [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/DQH1F.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/DQH1F.png)
>
> Bottom component wider than horizontal stroke of 「」
>
> [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/jOnJ8.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/jOnJ8.png)

I will emphasise that this description of the stroke length's relation to the stroke order only works within the framework of the *calligraphic stroke order*, and that no education standard† actually prescribes the *calligraphic stroke order* as a standard. Neither the Taiwanese (ROC) nor the Mainland Chinese (PRC) stroke order standards write 「右」 in a manner which is consistent with the calligraphic stroke order:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/fARXG.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/fARXG.png)

Credit: [M4RC0](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%E5%8F%B3-bw.png), [licensed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%E5%8F%B3-bw.png) under CC BY 3.0

---

\*Not to be confused with *Traditional Chinese*. The *traditional* or *calligraphic* stroke order is the order used in Imperial China, and not attached to any education department of a modern government.

†The closest educational standard to the calligraphic stroke order is actually from *Japan*. For all of the the characters mined from jisho.org, the *Japanese stroke order* matches the *calligraphic stroke order*.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: interesting, i always write the horizontal stroke first, then the left-downward stroke, for the mentioned characters   
> **username_1**: @username_4 If you write the left downward stroke first for 右, it will be easier to write and recognise cursive :)  
> **username_4**: errr . . . in recent years, i deliberately changed my hand-writing. i liked to write 隸書, by fountain pen   

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-04-14. Score: 0

As someone uses chinese daily, i dont think there is much of a difference if people can identify and understand what you are saying. Words itself is just a tool to express your thought, as longs as others understand, its not a problem. Just wrote them simular in length and the whole shape looks like the word, and tell others that your handwriting is poor, then nobody would be mad.


---

