霉 (méi) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

霉

méi[mei2]Tone 2

mold, mildew, to become moldy

HSK 7

Multiple Readings (多音字):

Guru Deep Dive

English · mold, mildew, to become moldy

Cached lesson

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Topology:Top-bottom

Strokes:12

Writing Balance Rule: The rain radical (雨) crowns the top cleanly, while the lower component (每) sits squarely beneath it with balanced horizontal strokes.

1. Meaning

mold, mildew, or fungus growing on damp organic matter

bad luck or unfortunate circumstances (often used as slang or in compound words like 倒霉)

noun / verbNeutral#botany#weather#misfortune

Sample Usage

面包发霉了。
miànbāo fāméi le.
The bread has become moldy.
最近真倒霉。
zuìjìn zhēn dǎoméi.
I've had terrible luck lately.

2. Sound

/[meɪ̯³⁵]/Tone: 35

霉

méimei2

´(35)

=méi

Build the syllable

Step-by-step blending

mei

Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "e" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).

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 to voice the nasal sound, then released into the vowel.

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -e vowel group

Sounds like: -ei rhymes with 'day' or 'say'

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

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 and rises sharply to the top, like an incredulous English 'What?'

Sandhi: When followed by another Tone 2, it shifts to a high rising contour.

👂

Listening trap: Confusing the rising Tone 2 (méi) with Tone 4 (mèi) or Tone 3 (měi).

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: Raise your hand upward from chest level to eyebrow level, exactly like asking a question saying 'May?'

3. Writing

Topology: Top-bottom · Strokes: 12 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The rain radical (雨) crowns the top cleanly, while the lower component (每) sits squarely beneath it with balanced horizontal strokes.

4. Components

Radical 雨 · Rain Radical (rain, weather)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 雨 (Indicates dampness, water from the sky, and humid weather conditions that cause mold.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 每 (original sound: měi / méi)

Continuous rain (雨) every day (每) creates damp conditions where mold grows.

雨 rain / weather
每 each / every (providing the phonetic sound)

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

12· Phonetic Root: 每 (měi)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the rain sign (雨) representing wet weather and the phonetic (每), capturing the concept of dampness-induced fungus.

Semantic Evolution: Originally referred specifically to fungi and botanical mildew caused by rain and humidity, later extended metaphorically to describe 'bad luck' (倒霉).

The association of rain with mold highlights traditional agricultural concerns regarding damp grain and spoiled harvests.

6. Sinosphere

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

Every day (每) it rains (雨), making the basement so humid that green MOLD (méi) grows all over the walls.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

每

měieachPhonetic Core (声旁)

海

hǎisea+ 氵 (water)

悔

huǐto regret+ 忄 (heart)

敏

mǐnquick, nimble, smart+ 攵 (strike)

Explore this family →

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

每(měi)

每 means 'every' and lacks the rain (雨) top component found on méi (mold).

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

阴雨天气很容易让食物发[___]。

Clue: méi

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the tone with měi (Tone 3) or forgetting the top rain radical when handwriting.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: When you see 霉, what does it mean and how is it pronounced?

Production: How do you write the character for 'mold' (méi) using the rain radical and the phonetic part?

霉méimold, mildew, to become moldy

Speed:

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