(Day-01) Read Forex Charts as a Beginner with GPT

How to Read Forex Charts as a Beginner: A Case Study with EUR/USD

When you are new to trading, charts can look confusing. Red and green candles, sudden spikes, drops, and volume bars often feel overwhelming. But once you learn to recognize basic patterns, trading becomes much clearer. In this blog, we’ll break down how to analyze forex charts step by step using a real example: EUR/USD on the 4-hour and 1-hour timeframes.

Step 1: Understanding Candlesticks and Volume

Before we dive into the case study, let’s cover the basics:

• Green candles show that price went up during that period (buyers are stronger).
• Red candles show that price went down (sellers are stronger).
• Volume bars at the bottom indicate the strength behind a move. Higher volume = stronger conviction, while low volume often signals weaker moves or false breakouts.

Step 2: The 4-Hour Chart (Big Picture)

On the 4H chart, EUR/USD climbed steadily from around 1.1620 to 1.1920. This is called an uptrend—a sequence of higher highs and higher lows.

However, when the price touched the 1.1900–1.1920 zone, it faced strong selling pressure. A long red candle appeared, showing rejection at resistance.

📌 Key levels on the 4H chart:

• Resistance: 1.1900 – 1.1920
• Support: 1.1750 – 1.1760

This tells us the overall trend is bullish, but sellers are also active near the resistance zone.

Step 3: The 1-Hour Chart (Short-Term View)

The 1H chart zooms in on the same market action. After rejecting 1.1920, the price started forming lower highs—each bounce upward was smaller than the last. This is a sign of a short-term downtrend or pullback within the larger uptrend.

This pullback is normal. Markets rarely move in a straight line; they “breathe” before choosing the next big direction.

Step 4: What This Means for Traders

• Bigger trend (4H): Still bullish/uptrend.
• Short-term trend (1H): Pullback/downtrend.
• If the price holds above 1.1750–1.1760 support, buyers may return and push it higher again.
• If the price breaks below that support, sellers will likely take control, and the market could drop further.

Step 5: How Beginners Can Level Up

1. Always check multiple timeframes – Use higher timeframes (like 4H or Daily) for the big picture, and smaller timeframes (like 1H or 15m) for fine-tuning entries and exits.
2. Mark support and resistance zones – Focus on levels where the market has reversed multiple times.
3. Watch candlestick rejections – Long wicks are clues of hidden buying or selling pressure.
4. Keep a trading journal – Write down your chart observations. Over time, your eyes will naturally spot patterns.
5. Practice on demo accounts first – Protect your capital while you build skill and confidence.

Final Thoughts

Trading is not about predicting the future with 100% accuracy. It’s about understanding probabilities, spotting patterns, and managing risk. By learning to recognize trends, support and resistance zones, and candlestick behavior, you’ll turn what looks like a mess of lines into a story the market is telling you.

In this EUR/USD example, the bigger trend is bullish, but the short-term pullback warns us to be cautious. With practice, these observations will become second nature and form the foundation of your trading journey.

Thank you for your reading .