HanziGuru.貌 · mào
貌
mào[mao4]Tone 4

appearance; looks; outward form

HSK 5
Guru Deep Dive

English · appearance; looks; outward form

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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:14
Writing Balance Rule: The left side (the 'cat' radical 豸) is narrow and vertically elongated, while the right side (卯) is wider and accommodates several horizontal strokes and a hooking vertical stroke, requiring careful proportioning so the character does not lean.
1. Meaning

appearance; looks; outward form

facial featurescountenancestyle or manner
Bound Morpheme / NounNeutralBound morpheme#human body#appearance#descriptions
Sample Usage
  • 相貌
    xiàngmào
    facial features; appearance
  • 全貌
    quánmào
    full picture; whole appearance
2. Sound
/[mɑʊ̯⁵¹]/Tone: 51
貌
màomao4
++
`(51)
=mào
Initial Consonant
m
Type: Bilabial Nasal
Sounds like: m as in 'man'
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Nasal resonance through nostrils.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Lips firmly pressed together to release air through the nose, then immediately opening for the vowel.
Final Rhyme
ao
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: -ao rhymes with the 'ow' sound in 'cow'
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ow'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T4 (51)
4th Tone (High-Falling)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 is a sharp drop in pitch, like shouting a sudden command or answering a firm 'Yes!'
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the Tone 4 falling pitch (51) with Tone 3 dipping pitch (214), leading to mispronunciation as 'mǎo'.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp, decisive downward chop with the hand, mirroring a stern 'No!' or a steep falling cliff.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 14 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left side (the 'cat' radical 豸) is narrow and vertically elongated, while the right side (卯) is wider and accommodates several horizontal strokes and a hooking vertical stroke, requiring careful proportioning so the character does not lean.

4. Components

Radical 豸 · Cat / Crawler Radical (insects, reptiles, or quadruped beasts with low legs)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 豸 (indicates animal body contours and physical form)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 卯 (original sound: mǎo)

The cat or beast radical (豸) on the left represents outward shape and posture, while the phonetic component on the right (卯) provides the 'mào' sound.

  • 豸 animal form / body contour
  • 卯 phonetic clue providing 'mào'
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally combined the animal/beast shape radical (豸) with a phonetic indicator (卯) to describe the physical appearance or form of creatures.

Semantic Evolution: Expanded from describing animal body forms to general human facial features, outward appearances, and eventually abstract phenomena or comprehensive views (e.g., 全貌).

  • The '豸' radical frequently appears in characters related to creatures, creeping things, or bodily shapes.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
mạo
The Sino-Vietnamese reading 'mạo' corresponds closely in initial and rhyme, matching a entering or falling tone structure.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ボウ (bō) / Kun: かたち (katachi)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
모
Sound Shift Bridge: Maintains the ancient 'm-' initial across Sino-Xenic readings such as Japanese 'bō' and Korean 'mo'.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

A wild cat (豸) stands proudly in front of a giant clock at卯 (mǎo - the hour of the rabbit/dawn), showing off its magnificent appearance and facial features to the morning sun.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
卯
mǎomortise /卯 hourBase phonetic component without the cat radical.
留
liúto stay / remainUses 田 on top instead of 豸.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
帽(mào)
Has the cloth radical (巾) on top because a hat is made of cloth, whereas 貌 has the cat radical (豸) on the left for appearance.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
这座城市的原___已经发生了巨大的变化。
Clue: yuán mào
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing 貌 (appearance) with 帽 (hat) due to identical pinyin pronunciation (mào). Remember to check the radical (豸 for body/appearance vs. 巾 for cloth/hat).

Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 貌, what does it mean and what is its Pinyin?
Production: How do you write the character for 'appearance/looks' (mào) with its cat radical on the left?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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