p8nda
p8nda BETA
Home Dictionary Translate Flashcards Sign in

末

mò
noun HSK 4 #6,426

Meanings

  1. 1 end; tip; final stage
  2. 2 powder; dust

Characters

末
mò
end; tip; last
Visually similar to 本 (root/origin) but the long stroke sits at the top, suggesting the tip/end.

Examples

周末你有空吗？
Zhōumò nǐ yǒu kòng ma?
Are you free this weekend?
学期末有考试。
Xuéqī mò yǒu kǎoshì.
There is an exam at the end of the semester.

Tips

usage
末 appears in 周末 (weekend), 末尾 (end / tail), 期末 (end of term), and 粉末 (powder). Compare with 未 (not yet) - they look similar.

Components

radical
木 mù
tree
A pictograph of a tree - trunk, branches, roots. Sits as the body of 末. Visual cue: in 末 the top stroke is longer than 木's; in the lookalike 未 'not yet', they're equal.
ideograph
一 yī
indicator stroke
A long horizontal at the very top - drawn longer than the tree's own crossbar so it stands out. Points at the canopy, hence 'tip, end, treetop'.

Stroke Order

末 mò