毛

máo

noun HSK 3 #1,372

Meanings

1 hair; feather; fur
2 dime (1/10 of a yuan)

Characters

hair; fur; dime

Examples

猫的毛很软。

Māo de máo hěn ruǎn.

The cat's fur is very soft.

这个五毛钱。

Zhège wǔ máo qián.

This costs five dimes (0.5 yuan).

Tips

culture

毛 as a currency unit equals 1/10 of a yuan (元). In everyday speech, people say 毛 instead of the formal 角 (jiǎo). So 两块五毛 = 2.50 yuan.

history

毛 is also a common surname — most famously 毛泽东 (Máo Zédōng), founder of the People's Republic of China.

Stroke Order

毛 máo