慕 meaning and stroke order
To admire, to desire, to long for
How to write 慕, stroke by stroke
14 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 慕
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to admire
How 慕 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
⺗ gives the meaning and 莫 hints at the sound.
Radical: ⺗ (heart), shared by 3 characters on this site.
How to remember 慕
慕 (mù) puts 莫 (mò) on top, which gives the sound, and the heart radical ⺗ underneath, which gives the meaning. Picture your heart sitting below something out of reach, quietly longing for it.
慕 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It mostly appears in words like 羡慕 (xiànmù, to envy or admire), 仰慕 (yǎngmù, to look up to) and 爱慕 (àimù, to adore). Example: 我很羡慕你的工作。(Wǒ hěn xiànmù nǐ de gōngzuò.) I really envy your job.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 慕 with 幕 (mù, curtain), 墓 (mù, tomb) and 暮 (mù, dusk). All four share 莫 on top and the sound mù, so check the bottom part. Only 慕 has the heart ⺗, and that matches its meaning of feeling and longing.
Common words with 慕
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
慕 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 慕
How many strokes are in 慕?
慕 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 慕 mean?
慕 (mù) means to admire, to desire, to long for. A common word with it is 羡慕 (xiànmù), meaning "to envy; to admire".
How do you pronounce 慕?
慕 is pronounced mù, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 慕?
The radical of 慕 is ⺗, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 慕 under this radical.
Is 慕 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 慕 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 羡慕 negative like the English word envy?
Usually not. 羡慕 is a light, friendly kind of envy, close to wishing you had what someone else has. For stronger, resentful jealousy, Chinese uses 嫉妒 (jídù).
Why is 慕 used in 慕斯 for mousse?
In 慕斯 (mùsī) the character is chosen for its sound, not its meaning. It is a loanword that imitates the French word mousse.