毛
The 毛 radical
Hair, fur
Memory hook
A curling tuft of animal fur or a feather. Seen in 毛巾 (towel), 毫 (a fine hair), 毯 (rug).
The 毛 radical (read máo) means hair, fur. The HSK 3.0 data contains 3 characters and 17 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 毛 radical
Study this radical's 17 words with flashcards or a quiz.
The free plan drills 15 words per radical. Upgrade to Premium
Characters with the 毛 radical
3 charactersHSK 1· 1 characters
HSK 1毛
hair, fur (of an animal)
HSK 4· 1 characters
HSK 4毫
fine hair, down
HSK 7-9· 1 characters
HSK 7-9毯
rug, mat for spreading on the floor or as a cushion
Vocabulary with the 毛 radical
17 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 毛 radical, ordered by HSK level.
hair, fur (of an animal)
bad habit; shortcoming
towel, bath towel
sweater
milliliter (a unit of volume)
the unit of measurement millimeter
writing brush
badminton
Stingy, miserly, unwilling to give anyone anything.
the slightest bit
to break down, to malfunction
carpet
not at all; not in the slightest
without hesitation
to have none at all; without any
blanket
eyebrow
Why learn vocabulary by the 毛 radical?
The 毛 radical hints at the meaning hair, fur. 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 17 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.