貓 meaning and stroke order
Cat
How to write 貓, stroke by stroke
16 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 貓
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- cat (CL:隻|只[zhi1])
- (dialect) to hide oneself
- (loanword) (coll.) modem
- used in 貓腰|猫腰[mao2 yao1]
How 貓 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Badger.
豸 gives the meaning and 苗 hints at the sound.
Radical: 豸 (badger), shared by 14 characters on this site.
How to remember 貓
On the left is 豸, a component for beasts with a long spine, and on the right is 苗 (miáo), which gives the sound. Picture a crouching animal that says "miao" in the sprouting grass, and you have 貓 (māo), a cat.
貓 (māo) is the everyday word for cat and is counted with 隻 (zhī). It also appears in animal names like 熊貓 (xióngmāo, panda) and 貓頭鷹 (māotóuyīng, owl). Example: 我家有兩隻貓。(Wǒ jiā yǒu liǎng zhī māo.) My family has two cats.
Common mistake: Learners who know the simplified form 猫 often forget that the traditional form uses 豸 on the left instead of 犭, so they mix the two in one text. Also note that 苗 is read miáo with a second tone, but 貓 is first tone, māo.
Common words with 貓
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 大熊貓 | dàxióngmāo | giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) | HSK 5 |
| 小貓 | xiǎomāo | kitten | |
| 貓咪 | māomī | kitty (affectionate term for a cat) | |
| 熊貓 | xióngmāo | panda | |
| 貓頭鷹 | māotóuyīng | owl | |
| 野貓 | yěmāo | wildcat; feral cat; stray cat | |
| 狸貓 | límāo | leopard cat; (literary) various small wild mammals (including raccoon dog, civet, wildcat) | |
| 躲貓貓 | duǒmāomāo | hide-and-seek (game); peekaboo (game) | |
| 夜貓子 | yèmāozi | owl; (fig.) night owl |
Questions about 貓
How many strokes are in 貓?
貓 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 貓 mean?
貓 (māo) means cat. A common word with it is 大熊猫 (dàxióngmāo), meaning "giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)".
How do you pronounce 貓?
貓 is pronounced māo, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 貓?
The radical of 貓 is 豸, which carries the idea of "badger". Dictionaries list 貓 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 貓?
貓 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 猫, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why is a panda called 熊貓 in Chinese?
熊貓 (xióngmāo) literally combines 熊 (bear) and 貓 (cat), describing an animal that looks bear-like with a cat-like face. It is simply the fixed name, and the giant panda is often called 大熊貓 (dàxióngmāo).
Does 貓 have any meanings besides cat?
Yes. In some dialects it can mean to hide oneself, as seen in the game 躲貓貓 (duǒmāomāo, hide-and-seek). In casual speech it can also mean a modem, and it is read máo in 貓腰 (máoyāo), to bend over.