毋
The 毋 radical
Do not — variant of 母 (mother)
Variants: 母
Memory hook
母 (mother, the two dots are breasts) crossed by one stroke becomes 毋, a prohibition. Inside characters it usually appears as 母: 每 (every), 毒 (poison).
The 毋 radical (read wú) means do not — variant of 母 (mother). The HSK 3.0 data contains 3 characters and 22 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 毋 radical
Study this radical's 22 words with flashcards or a quiz.
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Characters with the 毋 radical
3 charactersHSK 3· 2 characters
HSK 3母
mother
每
every; each
HSK 5· 1 characters
HSK 5毒
poison
Vocabulary with the 毋 radical
22 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 毋 radical, ordered by HSK level.
mother
every; each
parents
letter (of the alphabet)
poisoning
toxic, poisonous
to scan for and remove viruses
poison
to disinfect, to sterilize
virus
to take drugs; to use narcotics
mother
mother and daughter
mother and son; parent company and subsidiary
hen
drugs, narcotics
paternal grandmother
wife of father's older brother; aunt
mother-in-law (wife's mother)
whenever, every time
whenever one encounters, every time (a time or occasion) comes around
stepmother
Why learn vocabulary by the 毋 radical?
The 毋 radical hints at the meaning do not — variant of 母 (mother). When you meet an unfamiliar character carrying it, you already know part of its meaning before reaching for a dictionary — which is why learners who know their radicals move faster.
How to study: read the memory hook, skim the 3 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 22 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.