毛

máo: 毛 - Hair, Fur, Feather; Ten Cents; Gross (Profit); Unprocessed

Quick Summary

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  • Summary: The Chinese character 毛 (máo) is a versatile and fundamental word for beginners to learn. While its primary meaning is hair, fur, or feathers, it extends to describe things that are rough, unprocessed, or small. It is most famously used in daily life as the colloquial term for a ten-cent coin (one-tenth of a yuan). Culturally, it's significant as the character in “máobǐ” (calligraphy brush) and as the surname of the historical figure Mao Zedong.

Core Meaning

  • Pinyin (with tone marks): máo
  • Part of Speech: Noun, Adjective, Measure Word
  • HSK Level: HSK 2
  • Concise Definition: Hair, fur, feather; a unit of Chinese currency (dime/ten cents); gross/unprocessed.
  • In a Nutshell: At its heart, 毛 (máo) represents the fine strands that cover animals and birds. This core idea of “fine” or “raw covering” branches out into its other meanings. Think of it as the “raw” value of money (a small unit), the “raw” state of a product (unprocessed), or the “raw” profit before deductions (gross profit). It's a character that connects the physical world of textures to abstract concepts of value and state.

Character Breakdown

  • 毛 is a pictograph. The character itself is a stylized drawing of a tuft of animal hair or a single feather. It is one of the simplest and most ancient Chinese characters, and it also functions as a radical (Radical 82), often appearing in characters related to fur, blankets, or textiles.

Cultural Context and Significance

  • The Calligrapher's Brush (毛笔 máobǐ): The 毛笔 (máobǐ), or writing brush, is one of the Four Treasures of the Study in China. Made from animal 毛 (máo), it is the traditional tool for both writing and painting, embodying centuries of Chinese artistic and scholarly tradition. The character 毛 is therefore deeply linked to the cultural identity and aesthetic values of China.
  • Currency: 毛 (máo) vs. 角 (jiǎo): In Western culture, we might have formal and informal words for money (e.g., “dollars” vs. “bucks”), but the distinction between 毛 (máo) and 角 (jiǎo) is more rigid. 角 (jiǎo) is the official, written term for one-tenth of a Yuan. You will see it on price tags and banknotes. However, in spoken, everyday conversation, almost everyone uses 毛 (máo). It's a crucial distinction that immediately separates a textbook learner from someone who understands how people actually speak.
  • Chairman Mao (毛主席 Máo Zhǔxí): It is impossible to discuss the character 毛 (máo) without acknowledging its connection to Mao Zedong (毛泽东), the founding father of the People's Republic of China. His surname is 毛. While the character itself is neutral and existed for millennia before him, its association with such a monumental historical figure gives it a powerful modern resonance. In specific contexts, especially historical or political ones, 毛 can implicitly refer to him.

Practical Usage in Modern China

  • Talking about Hair and Fur (Noun): This is its most literal use. You use it for animal fur, feathers, and body hair (but not typically for the hair on your head, which is 头发 tóufa).
    • e.g., 猫毛 (māomáo) - cat fur; 羊毛 (yángmáo) - wool (sheep fur).
  • Counting Money (Measure Word): In daily transactions, 毛 is the standard spoken unit for 0.1 RMB.
    • e.g., “一块五毛” (yí kuài wǔ máo) means “1 RMB and 5 mao,” or ¥1.50.
  • Describing a “Gross” Amount (Adjective): In business and economics, 毛 means “gross,” as in, before deductions.
    • e.g., 毛利 (máolì) - gross profit; 毛重 (máozhòng) - gross weight.
  • Describing Something Unprocessed (Adjective): It can describe a product in its raw or unfinished state.
    • e.g., 毛坯房 (máopīfáng) - a bare, unfurnished apartment that the owner must finish decorating.
  • Expressing Panic or Fear (Verb): In colloquial slang, the verb 毛了 (máo le) means to get flustered, scared, or panicked.
    • e.g., “看到蛇，我一下就毛了” (Kàndào shé, wǒ yíxià jiù máo le) - “Seeing the snake, I totally freaked out.”

Example Sentences

  • Example 1:
    • 我家的猫掉毛掉得很厉害。
    • Pinyin: Wǒ jiā de māo diào máo diào de hěn lìhài.
    • English: My family's cat sheds a lot of fur.
    • Analysis: Here, 毛 is used in its most literal sense as “fur.” The verb 掉 (diào) means “to drop” or “to fall,” so 掉毛 is the set phrase for “to shed fur.”
  • Example 2:
    • 这瓶水两块五毛钱。
    • Pinyin: Zhè píng shuǐ liǎng kuài wǔ máo qián.
    • English: This bottle of water costs two yuan and fifty cents (¥2.50).
    • Analysis: A classic example of 毛 used as a colloquial measure word for currency. Note the use of 两 (liǎng) for “two” before a measure word, instead of 二 (èr).
  • Example 3:
    • 这件毛衣是谁的？
    • Pinyin: Zhè jiàn máoyī shì shéi de?
    • English: Whose sweater is this?
    • Analysis: 毛衣 (máoyī) literally translates to “hair clothing.” It shows how 毛 is used as a component to describe things made of wool or yarn.
  • Example 4:
    • 我爷爷喜欢用毛笔练习书法。
    • Pinyin: Wǒ yéye xǐhuān yòng máobǐ liànxí shūfǎ.
    • English: My grandpa likes to practice calligraphy with a writing brush.
    • Analysis: This sentence highlights the cultural significance of 毛笔 (máobǐ), the “hair brush.”
  • Example 5:
    • 我的电脑出了点小毛病，总是自动关机。
    • Pinyin: Wǒ de diànnǎo chūle diǎn xiǎo máobìng, zǒngshì zìdòng guānjī.
    • English: My computer has a small problem (glitch); it always shuts down automatically.
    • Analysis: The term 毛病 (máobìng) extends the idea of “roughness” or “imperfection” to mean a fault, defect, or bad habit.
  • Example 6:
    • 今年的毛利润比去年高。
    • Pinyin: Jīnnián de máolìrùn bǐ qùnián gāo.
    • English: This year's gross profit is higher than last year's.
    • Analysis: A common business usage, where 毛 means “gross” or “pre-tax/pre-deduction.”
  • Example 7:
    • 别催了，你越催我心里越毛。
    • Pinyin: Bié cuī le, nǐ yuè cuī wǒ xīnli yuè máo.
    • English: Stop rushing me, the more you rush, the more flustered I get.
    • Analysis: This shows the colloquial verb usage. 心里毛 (xīnli máo) means to feel panicked or unsettled on the inside.
  • Example 8:
    • 这条新买的毛巾特别吸水。
    • Pinyin: Zhè tiáo xīn mǎi de máojīn tèbié xīshuǐ.
    • English: This new towel I bought is especially absorbent.
    • Analysis: Like 毛衣, 毛巾 (máojīn) or “hair cloth” uses 毛 to describe the texture of the object.
  • Example 9:
    • 对于整个项目来说，这点钱只是九牛一毛。
    • Pinyin: Duìyú zhěnggè xiàngmù láishuō, zhè diǎn qián zhǐshì jiǔ niú yì máo.
    • English: For the entire project, this little bit of money is just a drop in the ocean.
    • Analysis: This uses the famous idiom 九牛一毛 (jiǔ niú yì máo), literally “one hair from nine oxen,” to mean something incredibly insignificant.
  • Example 10:
    • 他们刚买的房子是毛坯房，还得花钱装修。
    • Pinyin: Tāmen gāng mǎi de fángzi shì máopīfáng, hái děi huāqián zhuāngxiū.
    • English: The house they just bought is a bare-bones apartment, they still have to spend money to renovate it.
    • Analysis: Demonstrates the “unprocessed” or “raw” meaning of 毛. A 毛坯房 is a concrete shell without paint, flooring, or fixtures.

Nuances and Common Mistakes

  • False Friend: “Hair” vs. 头发 (tóufa): A common mistake for beginners is to use 毛 to talk about the hair on their head. While not technically wrong, it's unnatural. For head hair, you must use 头发 (tóufa). Saying “我的毛很长” (Wǒ de máo hěn cháng) sounds like you're talking about your body hair, which can be awkward.
    • Correct: 我的头发很长。(Wǒ de tóufa hěn cháng.) - My hair is long.
    • Incorrect/Awkward: 我的毛很长。
  • Spoken vs. Written Currency: 毛 (máo) vs. 角 (jiǎo): Never use 毛 (máo) in formal written contexts like contracts or invoices. Always use the official term 角 (jiǎo). Conversely, using 角 (jiǎo) in a casual conversation at a market will make you sound like a robot or a foreigner reading from a textbook.
    • Spoken: 这个三毛钱。(Zhège sān máo qián.) - This is 30 cents.
    • Written (on a price tag): ￥0.3角
  • “Gross” is not “Disgusting”: The English word “gross” can mean disgusting. The Chinese 毛 in a business context *only* means “gross” in the sense of “total before deductions.” It carries no negative connotation of being unpleasant.

Related Terms and Concepts

  • 头发 (tóufa) - The specific word for hair on the human head.
  • 角 (jiǎo) - The formal, written equivalent of 毛 for currency.
  • 毛笔 (máobǐ) - Writing brush; a key cultural object made from 毛.
  • 毛衣 (máoyī) - Sweater or woolen knitwear; literally “hair clothing.”
  • 毛巾 (máojīn) - Towel; literally “hair cloth,” referring to its texture.
  • 羽毛 (yǔmáo) - Feather; a more specific compound word for the covering of birds.
  • 毛病 (máobìng) - A fault, glitch, defect, or bad habit. An abstract extension of the “roughness” concept.
  • 皮毛 (pímáo) - Literally “skin and hair,” meaning fur. It can also be used idiomatically to mean “superficial knowledge.”
  • 羊毛 (yángmáo) - Wool; literally “sheep fur.”
  • 九牛一毛 (jiǔ niú yì máo) - A popular idiom meaning “a drop in the bucket” or an insignificant amount.