茂 (mào) — luxuriant, lush, profuse (bound form, used in compounds)
Definition
Bound form meaning 'lush, luxuriant,' almost always paired with 盛 or 密 (茂盛, 茂密) to describe thriving plants or hair. Don't use it on its own.
bound form
luxuriantlushprofuse (bound form, used in compounds)
Examples
- 。Zhè piàn sēn lín fēi cháng mào shèng.This forest is very lush and thriving.
- 。Tā de tóu fa yòu hēi yòu mào mì.Her hair is black and thick.
- 。Shān shàng zhǎng mǎn le mào mì de guàn mù.The mountain is covered with dense shrubs.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
戊
戊wù茂mào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The shape 茂 pairs 艸 (grass) with 戊, which gives the sound.
Appears in
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