Learn Chinese Characters

Meaning

tree; wood

Chinese: 树木、木材。

Hear the Four Tones

The same syllable “mu” becomes a different word in each tone. 木 is the 4th tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.

Stroke Order

Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.

Common Words

  • 木头mù touwood; log (; (fig.) blockhead; dolt
  • 树木shù mùtree
  • 麻木má mùnumb; insensitive; apathetic
  • 木材mù cáiwood
  • 木板mù bǎnslab; board; plank

Example Sentence

院子里种着几棵高大的树木。Yuàn zi lǐ zhòng zhe jǐ kē gāo dà de shù mù.A few tall trees are planted in the yard.

院子Yuàn zicourtyardinsidezhòngseedzhe(ongoing action)small tableM for plants高大gāo dàtalldeof树木shù mùtree

Go deeper

Where this character comes from

A pictograph of a tree: the vertical stroke is the trunk, the upper strokes are branches and the lower strokes are roots. It means ‘tree’ or ‘wood’.

A way to remember it

Trunk in the middle, branches reaching up, roots spreading down.

Easy to confuse with

  • běn‘Root / origin’: 木 with a short line at the base, pointing to the roots.
  • ‘Tip / end’: 木 with a long line across the top, pointing to the branch tips.
  • ‘Grain / cereal’: 木 with a slanted stroke on top, like a drooping ear of grain.