謀 (móu) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

謀

móu[mou2]Tone 2

to plan

HSK 6

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谋

Guru Deep Dive

English · to plan

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:11

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (讠) takes up about one-third of the width, leaving the right component (某) broader and balanced with stable horizontal strokes.

Simplification Logic: The left side was simplified from 言 (speech radical) to 讠 (the standard 2-stroke cursive shorthand).

1. Meaning

to plan, scheme, or plot

to seek or strive for (e.g., livelihood)strategy or counsel

Verb / NounFormal / Literary#thought#strategy#action

Sample Usage

谋事在人，成事在天。
móu shì zài rén, chéng shì zài tiān.
Man proposes, God disposes (Planning is up to man, success is up to Heaven).
谋生
móu shēng
To seek a livelihood / make a living.

2. Sound

/[moʊ̯³⁵]/Tone: 35

謀

móumou2

´(35)

=móu

Initial Consonant

Type: Bilabial Nasal

Sounds like: m sound as in 'mother'

Unaspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: Nasal resonance through nostrils.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Lips pressed together lightly, air resonates through the nasal cavity.

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -o vowel group

Sounds like: -ou rhymes with 'ow' in 'window' or 'soul'

Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'oh'.

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T2 (35)

3 → 5 (35)

2nd Tone (Mid-Rising)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 2 starts mid-low and rises to high, exactly like asking 'What?' in English when you didn't quite hear someone.

Sandhi: When followed by another Tone 2, the initial tone shifts to a half-rising pitch.

👂

Listening trap: Do not confuse Tone 2 (móu - rising) with Tone 4 (mòu), which drops sharply. Ensure the pitch ends higher than it starts.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: Raise your hand upward and to the right, mimicking a plane taking off or an inquisitive shrug.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 11 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (讠) takes up about one-third of the width, leaving the right component (某) broader and balanced with stable horizontal strokes.

Simplification Logic: The left side was simplified from 言 (speech radical) to 讠 (the standard 2-stroke cursive shorthand).

4. Components

Radical 讠 · Speech Radical (Words, speech, communication)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 讠 (Indicates that planning and scheming involve speech, words, and mental consultation.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 某 (original sound: mǒu)

You use your words (讠) to express a certain (某) strategy or secret plot.

讠 Speech / communication semantic root
某 Certain / some (provides the phonetic sound móu)

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

5· Phonetic Root: 某 (mǒu)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the speech radical (讠) representing verbal counsel and deliberation, and 某 (mǒu) providing the phonetic reading while carrying the sense of an indefinite target or secret scheme.

Semantic Evolution: Originally referred to secret deliberation and consulting with others, broadening over time to mean planning, strategizing, and seeking a livelihood.

Often found in classical texts describing military advisors and tacticians (谋士 - móushì).

6. Sinosphere

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: ボウ (bō) / ム (mu) / Kun: はかる (hakaru)

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

모

Sound Shift Bridge: The historical rhyme ending shifted predictably into Japanese on'yomi as 'bō' and Korean as 'mo'.

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

To hatch a secret scheme or plan (谋), you need to consult in whispers using your speech (讠) with a certain (某) shadowy partner.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

某

mǒucertain / someWithout the speech radical, it just means 'a certain person/thing'.

煤

méicoalUses the fire/water radical (火) instead of speech, referring to black fuel.

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

某(mǒu)

某 lacks the speech radical (讠) on the left.

媒(méi)

媒 has the female/woman radical (女) on the left, used for matchmakers.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

我們必須好好[___]一下明年的工作計劃。

Clue: móu

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the phonetic component 某 with characters that share the same sound but different radicals like 煤 (coal) or 媒 (matchmaker).

Memory Prompts

Recognition: When you see 谋, what action does it describe?

Production: How do you write the character for 'to plan or scheme' (móu) using the speech radical?

謀móuto plan

Speed:

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