The character 毛 — “fur”: how to write it and what it means
fur, hair; mao
The Chinese character 毛 is read máo and means “fur, hair; mao”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 毛
毛 has 4 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 毛, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 毛 is made of
A picture of a tuft of fur.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 毛
- 羽毛球badmintonHSK 3
- 毛衣sweaterHSK 4
- 毛巾towelHSK 4
- 毛笔writing brushHSK 5
- 毛病flaw; malfunctionHSK 5
- 眉毛eyebrowsHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 毛?
毛 has 4 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 毛 mean?
毛 means “fur, hair; mao”. It appears in 羽毛球 (“badminton”), 毛衣 (“sweater”), 毛巾 (“towel”), 毛笔 (“writing brush”).
How do you pronounce 毛?
毛 is read máo. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 毛 have?
4 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 毛 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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