毫 meaning and stroke order
Fine hair; measure of length; one-thousandth
How to write 毫, stroke by stroke
11 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
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
Meaning of 毫
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- hair
- drawing brush
- (in the) least
- one thousandth
- currency unit, 0.1 yuan
How 毫 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hair.
毛 gives the meaning.
Radical: 毛 (hair), shared by 15 characters on this site.
How to remember 毫
Look at the bottom: 毛 (máo) means hair, and it gives 毫 its meaning of a fine hair. The top part (亠, 口, 冖) is like a little roof stacked above, so picture a single tiny hair sitting under a roof, something so small you can barely see it.
Because a fine hair is tiny, 毫 is used for very small amounts. It appears in metric units like 毫米 (háomǐ, millimeter) and 毫升 (háoshēng, milliliter), and in strong negatives like 毫无 and 毫不. Example: 他毫不犹豫地答应了。(Tā háo bù yóuyù de dāying le.) He agreed without the slightest hesitation.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 毫 with 豪 (háo, heroic, luxurious), which has the same sound and the same top but 豕 at the bottom instead of 毛. Remember that the tiny one has hair (毛) at the bottom.
Common words with 毫
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 毫米 | háomǐ | millimeter | HSK 4 |
| 毫升 | háoshēng | milliliter | HSK 4 |
| 毫无 | háo wú | not in the least; to completely lack | HSK 7-9 |
| 毫不 | háo bù | hardly; not in the least | HSK 7-9 |
| 丝毫 | sīháo | the slightest amount or degree; a bit | HSK 7-9 |
| 毫不犹豫 | háo bù yóuyù | without the slightest hesitation | HSK 7-9 |
| 毫无疑问 | háowúyíwèn | certainty; without a doubt | |
| 毫克 | háokè | milligram | |
| 毫不留情 | háobùliúqíng | to show no quarter; ruthless | |
| 毫发 | háofà | a hair; the slightest | |
| 毫无保留 | háowúbǎoliú | to hold nothing back; without reservation |
毫 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 毫
How many strokes are in 毫?
毫 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 毫 mean?
毫 (háo) means fine hair; measure of length; one-thousandth. A common word with it is 毫米 (háomǐ), meaning "millimeter".
How do you pronounce 毫?
毫 is pronounced háo, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 毫?
The radical of 毫 is 毛, which carries the idea of "hair". Dictionaries list 毫 under this radical.
Is 毫 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 毫 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 毫无 and 毫不?
毫无 (háo wú) is followed by a noun, as in 毫无疑问 (no doubt at all). 毫不 (háo bù) is followed by a verb or adjective, as in 毫不犹豫 (not hesitating at all).
Why does 毫 mean money?
In spoken Chinese, especially in southern regions and Cantonese, 毫 can mean a currency unit worth 0.1 yuan, the same value as 角 (jiǎo) or 毛 (máo). In standard Mandarin you will hear 毛 or 角 more often.