is chineese written left to right? Venice.ai: No, Chinese is not typically written from left to right. Chinese characters are written in a variety of directions, depending on the shape of the character and the context. The most common directions are from top to bottom, then from left to right, but some characters may be written vertically from top to bottom, or in a zigzag pattern. This is because Chinese characters are logographic, meaning each character represents a word or idea rather than a sound, and their shapes and orientations have historical and artistic significance.