某 meaning and stroke order
Some; a certain; sb or sth indefinite
How to write 某, stroke by stroke
9 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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- 9
Meaning of 某
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- some
- a certain
- sb or sth indefinite
- such-and-such
How 某 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. The sweet 甘 fruit of a certain tree 木.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 某
某 (mǒu) is sweet 甘 on top of a tree 木. Picture the sweet fruit of a certain tree, one you know exists but do not name, and you have the meaning "a certain" or "some."
某 goes before a noun or measure word to point to something specific but unnamed, and it often sounds a bit formal or written. It is common in news, stories, and when you want to hide a name. Example: 我在某个地方见过他。(Wǒ zài mǒu gè dìfang jiàn guo tā.) I have seen him somewhere.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 某 with 谋 (móu, to plan), which adds the speech radical 讠 on the left and has a second tone. Also remember 某 is third tone, mǒu, not mōu.
Common words with 某
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
某 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 某
Learning 某 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 某
How many strokes are in 某?
某 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 某 mean?
某 (mǒu) means some; a certain; sb or sth indefinite. A common word with it is 某些 (mǒuxiē), meaning "some; certain (things)".
How do you pronounce 某?
某 is pronounced mǒu, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 某?
The radical of 某 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 某 under this radical.
Is 某 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 某 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 某些 and 一些?
一些 (yìxiē) just means "some" or "a few" in general. 某些 (mǒuxiē) means "certain ones," pointing to particular items the speaker has in mind but does not name.
How is 某 used with surnames?
You can put 某 after a surname to refer to an unnamed person, like 王某 (Wáng mǒu), "a man named Wang." News reports use this to protect someone's identity, and 某某 (mǒumǒu) works like "so-and-so."