Candlestick Anatomy — Understanding Price Charts
The thick, rectangular part of a candlestick is called the body. It spans the distance between the opening price and the closing price for that period.
The Body
The thick, rectangular part of a candlestick is called the body. It spans the distance between the opening price and the closing price for that period.
A long body means price moved a large distance between open and close; a short body means the period was relatively calm or indecisive.
[Read the lesson: Candlestick Anatomy](/learn-to-trade/understanding-price-charts/candlestick-anatomy)
The Wicks (or Shadows)
The thin lines extending above and below the body are called wicks or shadows. The upper wick marks the highest price reached during the period, and the lower wick marks the lowest price reached.
Long wicks tell you that price was pushed in one direction but was then rejected and pulled back before the period closed — a sign of an intraperiod tug-of-war between buyers and sellers.
[Read the lesson: Candlestick Anatomy](/learn-to-trade/understanding-price-charts/candlestick-anatomy)
Putting It Together: Reading One Candle
To read any single candle, ask four questions: Where did price open? Where did it close? How high did it go? How low did it go? Those four answers are the entire story of that candle.
**Một cây nến theo giờ:** Giả sử trên biểu đồ EUR/USD khung 1 giờ, một cây nến mở cửa tại 1.0820, tăng lên mức cao 1.0845, giảm xuống mức thấp 1.0812 và đóng cửa tại 1.0838. Thân nến kéo dài từ 1.0820 đến 1.0838 (tăng 18 pip), râu trên kéo dài từ 1.0838 đến 1.0845 (7 pip), và râu dưới kéo dài từ 1.0812 đến 1.0820 (8 pip). Điều này cho thấy bên mua kiểm soát trong phần lớn thời gian của giờ đó nhưng đã gặp một số áp lực bán ban đầu trước khi phục hồi.
[Read the lesson: Candlestick Anatomy](/learn-to-trade/understanding-price-charts/candlestick-anatomy)
Why Shape Matters More Than Color Alone
Many traders focus only on whether a candle is 'up' or 'down,' but the proportions matter just as much. A small body with long wicks on both sides describes hesitation, while a large body with tiny wicks describes conviction.
No single candle guarantees what happens next — think of each candle as one data point describing probability and sentiment, not a certain prediction of future price.
[Read the lesson: Candlestick Anatomy](/learn-to-trade/understanding-price-charts/candlestick-anatomy)