毛 máo — hair; fur · English

毛

máo

hair; fur

At a glance · 毛

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Evolution of the glyph

Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.

Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
Regular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.

甲骨文象人或兽的毛之形，本义为毛发。小篆作「毛」。

What the sketch shows

Origins & notes

本义为动植物体表的毛。

Structure

象形字，甲骨文象毛羽之形。

At a glance

Pinyinmáo

Radical毛

Strokes4

UnicodeU+6BDB

Character type象形

Theme人体

Six languages, one character

Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.

English hair; fur Hair or fur on skin.

Français poil; fourrure Poil ou fourrure sur la peau.

Español pelo; pelaje Pelo o pelaje en la piel.

العربية شعر؛ فرو شعر أو وبر الجلد.

Русский волосы; шерсть Волосы или шерсть на коже.

Common words

毛máohair
毛笔máo bǐbrush

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