呣 meaning and stroke order
Interjection or exclamation indicating a question
How to write 呣, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 8
Meaning of 呣
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- interjection expressing a question
- interjection expressing consent
- um
How 呣 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 母 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 呣
A mouth 口 next to 母 (mǔ, mother) gives the sound. Picture someone making a quick nasal "mm?" with closed lips, the same m sound that starts 母.
呣 is a spoken interjection, a hummed nasal sound with no vowel. With a rising tone ḿ it asks "huh?" or "what?", and in other readings it can show agreement like "mm-hm". Example: 呣，你说什么？(Ḿ, nǐ shuō shénme?) Hm? What did you say?
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 呣 with 姆 (mǔ), which has 女 on the left instead of 口, or with 母 itself. Also, 呣 is pronounced as a hummed m with closed lips, not as "mu".
Questions about 呣
How many strokes are in 呣?
呣 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 呣 mean?
呣 (ḿ) means interjection or exclamation indicating a question.
How do you pronounce 呣?
呣 is pronounced ḿ, in the neutral tone (short and light).
What is the radical of 呣?
The radical of 呣 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 呣 under this radical.
How do you pronounce ḿ with no vowel?
Keep your lips closed and hum an m sound through your nose. For ḿ, let the pitch rise as if asking a question, like a curious "mm?" in English.
Is 呣 common in written Chinese?
It is rare in formal writing. You mostly see it in dialogue, chat messages, and fiction where writers want to capture natural spoken hesitation or questioning.