沫 meaning and stroke order
Bubbles, foam, froth, suds
How to write 沫, 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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 沫
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- foam
- suds
How 沫 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 末 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 沫
沫 combines the water radical 氵 with 末 (mò), which gives the sound. Picture the light froth that sits at the very tip, or 末 "end," of the water's surface.
沫 rarely appears alone and usually shows up in words like 泡沫 (pàomò, foam, bubbles) and 唾沫 (tuòmo, saliva). 泡沫 is also used figuratively for an economic bubble. Example: 啤酒上有很多泡沫。(Píjiǔ shàng yǒu hěn duō pàomò.) There is a lot of foam on the beer.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 沫 with 沬 (mèi), which uses 未 instead of 末. In 末 the top horizontal stroke is longer than the lower one, while in 未 the top stroke is shorter.
Common words with 沫
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 泡沫 | pàomò | foam; (soap) bubble | HSK 7-9 |
| 唾沫 | tuòmo | spittle; saliva |
沫 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 沫
How many strokes are in 沫?
沫 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 沫 mean?
沫 (mò) means bubbles, foam, froth, suds. A common word with it is 泡沫 (pàomò), meaning "foam; (soap) bubble".
How do you pronounce 沫?
沫 is pronounced mò, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 沫?
The radical of 沫 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 沫 under this radical.
Is 沫 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 沫 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is the tone of 沫 always fourth tone?
In most words it is mò with the fourth tone, as in 泡沫 (pàomò). In 唾沫 (tuòmo) it is often read with a neutral tone in everyday speech.
What does 相濡以沫 mean?
相濡以沫 (xiāng rú yǐ mò) is an idiom that describes fish keeping each other alive with their saliva. It means helping each other through hard times and is often used for a devoted couple.