The basics of Chinese writing and the history of characters

Course information

Please note that this course is a supporting course for Chinese 1. We recommend taking the courses simultaneously, or if you only take this course, the prerequisite is the content of the Chinese 1 course (e.g., grammar and sentence structures).

Learning outcomes

Students learn the characters needed for the vocabulary used in the course Chinese 1; they gain the basic knowledge needed for the systematic self-study of Chinese characters. Approx. 170 of the most common Chinese characters and vocabulary will be included.

Content

- Learn characters with pinyin
- Write the characters with the right stroke order
- Recognize some basic radicals
- Study characters historically and structurally

Teacher

Sari Annala

Study material

Textbook: Chi le ma ? (a course in basic Chinese / © 2019 the authors and Otava Publishing Company Ltd) (ISBN 9789511334156)and additional material in the MyCourses learning environment

Workload

2 h (contact hours) + 52  h (self-study)

Prerequisites

No prior studies when taken as a supporting course for Chinese 1. If you only take this course separately, the prerequisite is the content of the Chinese 1 course (e.g., grammar and sentence structures).

Evaluation

1. Lectures 2 h and self-study 52 h
2. Assignments prepared by the teacher (50 %)
3. A final examination (50 %)

Teaching time and location

The teaching time and the location of the course can be found at Sisu information system (teaching times have been updated 26.11.2025).

1. The link leads to Completion methods tab of the course page
2. From the top of the page (Version drop-down menu), check that academic year 2025-2026 is selected  

3. From the blue bar, click Lecture and open the Groups and teaching times tab to see the teaching time and the location of the course. Exam times can be seen by clicking Exam.
    

   Exam instructions at the Open University

The teacher has four (4) weeks to grade the exam submissions starting from the exam date.

Further information

Substitutes for the course LC-9011 Chinese Characters 1 (2 cr).

CEFR level: A1.1

Online learning environment for the course  

MyCourses online learning environment is a tool for both students and teachers for communication and managing everyday course work. You need an Aalto User ID to log in to the course's MyCourses workspace and participate in teaching.

Digital workspace of the course:
MyCourses

More details on completing the course will be available at MyCourses closer to the start of the course.

Registration and course fee

Registration for Open University courses is done via the link below: 
Course registration

Registration for this course starts on 16.3.2026 at 9.00  
Registration for this course ends on 19.4.2026 at 23.59

It is not possible to register before the registration period has started or after it has ended.

The number of participants is limited to 6. Please note: The course is organized if a minimum of 10 students register for it.

This course is organized by the Aalto University Language Centre.

The course fee is paid upon registration for each course at a time and it is binding. Familiarize yourself with registration and payment rules as well as other guidelines for students:
Registration, payments and rules

Activating Aalto ID and Multifactor Authentication

You can activate your Aalto User ID the day after the registration and you should activate it no later than the day before the start of the course.
Instructions for activating your Aalto user ID

Once you have activated your Aalto user ID, also enable multifactor authentication. Some of Aalto University's services require multifactor authentication.

Instructions for using Multifactor Authentication