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**Context:**

I am currently on a quest to learn how to hand write the 2000 most commonly
used Kanji. This requires lots of memorization, so efficiency is important.

I have come across Kanji that have strokes with little "extra tails", created
from a slightly extra-long stroke. I found that they are often referred to as
はね. Or in English, they can be called "jumps". For example:

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9r7wF.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9r7wF.png)

When splitting this kanji into three separate parts:

  * the left part has two jumps on the bottom, with the left tail being slightly longer
  * the upper right part has no jumps
  * the lower right part has two jumps on the bottom, of equal length.

**Question:**

How important are the jumps?

When handwriting Kanji, does it matter if these jumps are of the correct
length? Would the Kanji still be understandable without correct jumps? Would
natives find it annoying, for example, if I didn't include the jumps at all?

I am asking because the less little things I have to memorize, the faster I
can learn the Kanji.
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kanji handwriting
Is exact Kanji stroke length important?
This has more to do with strokes and stroke order. Some fonts will show these,
others not. Some will even show such 'tails' in the middle of a stroke.

Pay attention only if it helps you to get the kanji (especially strokes and
stroke order) right.
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2019-03-25T18:46:09.023
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Notice how in some fonts, the letter "A" has little things that stick out,
too:

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/JBcRK.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/JBcRK.png)

But you wouldn't write those little tails in handwriting, would you?

Same thing with 唱. I don't think I've met anyone who writes them with the
"jumps". This is how I'd write 唱:

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9Xy0A.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9Xy0A.png)
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> These "jumps" that you brought up are not part of the kanji, they are part
> of the typeface.

_(More specifically, they may be treated like serifs - or little decorations
at the edge of certain lines)_ _(see drooze's and Sweeper's answers)_

When you are learning kanji, you should **definitely not** be copying or
referencing printed characters. You should learn from hand-written characters.
The basics of how to write kanji are not taught or learned from printed or
typeface forms.

The best online reference I know of for hand-written Japanese characters is
<https://kakijun.jp/>

  * 唱 → <https://kakijun.jp/page/1118200.html>
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Not to take away from the general idea of the other answers, but those
protrusions on the bottom end of「唱」are not _serifs_.

> [![enter image description
> here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/QfbER.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/QfbER.png)
>
> _Noto sans CJK_ , a **sans-serif** font - sans-serif means _without serifs_.
>
> These protrusions have been present since one-pixel wide bitmap fonts - I
> presume their purpose is to enhance legibility.
>
> [![enter image description
> here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/O3ALI.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/O3ALI.png)

The font displayed in the question is classed as an [East Asian Gothic
typeface](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asian_Gothic_typeface). In
general, [Ming typeface](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ming_\(typefaces\)) and
its derivatives like Gothic typeface are unsuitable for handwriting imitation.
Please see [Is there an "official" font or other writing standard that should
be used when teaching
kanji?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/18782/is-there-an-
official-font-or-other-writing-standard-that-should-be-used-when-t) and make
use of [handwriting previews](https://www.fonts.com/font/ricoh/hg-kyokashotai)
if you want to copy a style resembling handwriting.
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Since nobody has mentioned how you should actually write 唱, let me add a
picture from a "textbook font" (教科書体) (see [Is there an "official" font or
other writing standard that should be used when teaching
kanji?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/18782/1628))

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Hg760.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Hg760.png)

You can follow the shape, but when writing with a pen, the "serifs" or "jumps"
are sometimes less visible and usually the middle "bar" in 日 does not touch
the right vertical stroke. (To see what I mean in other characters, see for
example [this
site](https://%E3%83%9A%E3%83%B3%E5%AD%97%E8%AC%9B%E5%BA%A7.com/e0067.html).)

I couldn't find a picture of 唱, so here is what I mean:

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/JNinW.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/JNinW.png)

(Sorry for the subpar handwriting and the cheap pen.)
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Please keep in mind that kanji are traditionally practiced using a brush,
rather than a pen or pencil. The tails are a result of correct brush usage, as
each stroke may have it's open predefined nuance or flair.

See this article on calligraphy, or shodo:
<https://www.japanvisitor.com/japanese-culture/language/japanese-shodo>

It is very useful to be familiar with these basics, but it is unnecessarily
time consuming to attempt to have perfect calligraphy form all the time. The
simplified, cursive examples provided by others in this thread exemplify how
the calligraphy techniques, when sped up, act as a type of shorthand used to
save time.

I recommend jisho.org for their hand written stroke order animations:

[https://jisho.org/search/家%20%23kanji](https://jisho.org/search/%E5%AE%B6%20%23kanji)
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