The first code: rules and commonly mistaken characters

Cangjie takes codes in a fixed order: top to bottom, left to right, outside to inside; the first shape reached is the first code. It follows stroke shape, not meaning or dictionary radical, so it often differs from intuition. The tables below group, by opening shape, the characters whose first code is most easily mistaken. Radicals are named by shape (竹, 手, 弓, and so on).

A top throw is 竹

A throw stroke (丿) at the top or upper left is taken as 竹.

Character	Code	Notes
我	竹手戈	Top-left throw is 竹, not 手 or 戈.
生	竹手一	Top throw is 竹.
失	竹手人	Top throw is 竹, as in 生.
千	竹十	Throw is 竹, then 十.
禾	竹木	Top throw is 竹, then 木.
朱	竹十木	Top throw is 竹.

A leading hook or fold is 弓

A leading hooked or folded connected stroke is taken whole as 弓.

Character	Code	Notes
及	弓竹水	Opening fold and hook are 弓, then 竹, 水.
乃	弓竹尸	Opens on 弓.
予	弓戈弓弓	Opening hook is 弓.
承	弓弓手人	Upper-left strokes give 弓, then 弓.

First code 戈 despite the shape

Some characters look nothing like 戈 yet take 戈 as the first code.

Character	Code	Notes
弋	戈心	First code is 戈, not 弓.
之	戈弓人	First code is 戈 despite the shape.
式	戈心一	First code is 戈, not 工.
求	戈十水	First code is 戈.

Look-alikes, different first code

Near-identical shapes can take different first codes.

Character	Code	Notes
千	竹十	Has the throw; first code 竹.
干	一十	No throw; first code 一.
牛	竹手	Opening throw is 竹.
午	人十	Opens on 人, not 竹.