The Wubihua method (五笔画) is a Chinese input method for writing text on a computer. It is based on the stroke order of a word, and can be input using only a numerical keypad. Although it is possible to input Traditional Chinese characters with this method, this method is often associated with Simplified Chinese characters. Since the Chinese language uses a logographic script—that is a script where one or two character corresponds roughly to one word or meaning—there are vastly more characters, or glyphs, than there are keys on a standard computer keyboard. ... Traditional Chinese characters are one of two standard character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written language. ... Simplified Chinese characters (Simplified Chinese: 简体字; Traditional Chinese: 簡體字; pinyin: jiǎntǐzì; also called 简化字/簡化字, jiǎnhuàzì) are one of two standard character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written language. ...

Each of the five keys from 1 to 5 are assigned a certain type of stroke (resembling the Eight Principles of Yong): 1 for horizontal strokes (一), 2 for vertical strokes (丨), 3 for downwards right-to-left strokes (丿), 4 for dot strokes or downwards left-to-right strokes (丶), and 5 for all other strokes. To input any character, simply press the keys corresponding to the first four strokes of a character and the key corresponding to the last stroke of a character. For characters four strokes or less, press 0 after the last stroke. The Eight Principles of Yong (永字八法 Pinyin: YÇ’ngzì Bā FÇŽ; Japanese: えいじはっぽう, Eiji Happō; Korean: 영자팔법. Yeongjapalbeop; Vietnamese: VÄ©nh Tá»± Bát Pháp/ Tám PhÆ°Æ¡ng Pháp về Chữ VÄ©nh) explains how to write the eight strokes common in Chinese characters found all in the one character...

Wubihua is one of the easiest to learn methods, but it tends to be vague (a Wubihua code will normally match tens or hundreds of characters), and each character has a unique code (thus, characters whose stroke order are frequently transposed due to a person's writing style cannot easily be found).

See also

• Wubi_method
• Stroke method

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External links

• Wubizixing for speakers of English
• Thesis on chinese language processing and computing - Wubihua
• Sino Input Method Online (input Chinese using Five-stroke method without installation)