麯 meaning and stroke order
Yeast, leaven
How to write 麯, stroke by stroke
17 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 麯
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- variant of 麴|曲[qu1]
How 麯 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Wheat.
麥 gives the meaning and 曲 hints at the sound.
Radical: 麥 (wheat), shared by 4 characters on this site.
How to remember 麯
On the left is 麥 (mài, wheat), the grain that yeast works on, and on the right is 曲 (qū), which gives the sound. Picture wheat that has been fermented and bent out of shape by yeast.
麯 is a variant form of 麴 and of 曲 (qū) in the sense of yeast or a fermentation starter. It mostly appears in older texts, traditional-character signs, or names connected to brewing. In modern simplified Chinese you will usually see 曲, as in 酒曲 (jiǔqū, a starter for making alcohol).
Common mistake: Learners often read 曲 with the meaning "song" (qǔ, third tone) and carry that tone over. In the yeast sense it is first tone, qū. Also do not confuse the left part 麥 with 麦, its simplified form.
Questions about 麯
How many strokes are in 麯?
麯 is written with 17 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 麯 mean?
麯 (qū) means yeast, leaven.
How do you pronounce 麯?
麯 is pronounced qū, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 麯?
The radical of 麯 is 麥, which carries the idea of "wheat". Dictionaries list 麯 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 麯?
麯 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 曲, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 麯 the same character as 麴?
Yes, in meaning they are the same. Both mean yeast or a fermentation starter, and both are pronounced qū. 麯 is listed as a variant of 麴, and both simplify to 曲.
What is 酒曲 used for?
酒曲 (jiǔqū) is a starter culture of molds and yeast grown on grain. It is used to ferment rice or sorghum when making Chinese alcohol such as 白酒 (báijiǔ) and rice wine.