末 meaning and stroke order
Tip; end; final stage
How to write 末, stroke by stroke
5 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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 末
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- tip
- end
- final stage
- latter part
- inessential detail
- powder
- variant of 麼|么[me5]
How 末 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. The top 一 of a tree 木.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 末
末 is a tree 木 with a long line 一 drawn across the very top, marking the tip of the branches. The tip is the far end of the tree, so 末 (mò) means end or last.
末 usually appears in compounds about the end of a time period, like 周末 (zhōumò, weekend) and 期末 (qīmò, end of term). It can also mean powder, as in 粉末 (fěnmò). Example: 这个周末你有空吗？ (Zhège zhōumò nǐ yǒu kòng ma?) Are you free this weekend?
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 末 (mò) with 未 (wèi, not yet). In 末 the top line is longer than the lower line, while in 未 the top line is shorter. A quick check: 末 reaches out wide at the tip of the tree, and 未 has not grown out yet.
Common words with 末
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 周末 | zhōumò | weekend | HSK 2 |
| 期末 | qīmò | the end of a term or semester (in school) | HSK 4 |
| 末日 | mòrì | last day; end | HSK 7-9 |
| 世界末日 | shìjièmòrì | end of the world | |
| 芥末 | jièmo | mustard; wasabi | |
| 粉末 | fěnmò | fine powder; dust | |
| 末期 | mòqī | end (of a period); last part | |
| 末端 | mòduān | tip; extremity | |
| 世纪末 | shìjìmò | end of the century | |
| 年末 | niánmò | end of the year | |
| 期末考 | qīmòkǎo | final exam | |
| 末尾 | mòwěi | end; tip; extremity |
末 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 末
Learning 末 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 末
How many strokes are in 末?
末 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 末 mean?
末 (mò) means tip; end; final stage. A common word with it is 周末 (zhōumò), meaning "weekend".
How do you pronounce 末?
末 is pronounced mò, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 末?
The radical of 末 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 末 under this radical.
Is 末 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 末 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Why is 芥末 pronounced jièmo and not jièmò?
In 芥末 (jièmo, mustard or wasabi) the second syllable is usually read in the neutral tone in everyday speech. The meaning of 末 here is powder, since mustard was ground into a fine powder.
What is the difference between 末 and 本?
Both are built on 木. 本 (běn) has a line near the bottom, marking the root, so it means origin or basis. 末 has the line at the top, marking the tip, so it means end, and the pair 本末 (běnmò) means the root and the branches, or the essential and the trivial.