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Kotomora

毛

fur, hair, feather, down

JLPTN2StatusJōyō · grade 2FrequencyTop 2,000Strokes4

Readings

On'yomi

  • モウ

Kun'yomi

  • け

Nanori

  • めん
  • も

Meaning

毛 centers on fine, soft body coverings: fur, hair, feathers, and down. It captures the idea of thin, thread-like growths on animals or birds.

Most common words using 毛

20 of 400
  • 毛け
    N4

    hair

  • 脱毛だつもう

    hair loss

  • 髪の毛かみのけ
    N3

    hair (on the head); (a) hair

  • 毛穴けあな

    pore (of the skin)

  • 毛布もうふ
    N3

    blanket

  • 毛皮けがわ
    N2

    fur; skin; pelt

  • 眉毛まゆげ
    N3

    eyebrow

  • 陰毛いんもう

    pubic hair

  • まつ毛まつげ
    N3

    eyelashes

  • 羽毛うもう

    feather; plume; plumage; down

  • 不毛ふもう
    N1

    barren; sterile; infertile

  • 羊毛ようもう
    N2

    wool

  • 赤毛あかげ

    red hair; ginger hair

  • 育毛いくもう

    hair restoration; new hair growth

  • 体毛たいもう

    body hair

  • 毛髪もうはつ

    hair

  • 薄毛うすげ

    thinning hair; sparse hair (as in balding)

  • 毛根もうこん

    hair root

  • 毛沢東もうたくとう

    Mao Zedong (1893.12.26-1976.9.9); Mao Tse-tung

  • 鼻毛はなげ

    nasal hair; nose hair

Explore all words using 毛 →

Study

Etymology

毛 is a pictograph of fine hair or fur, with the strokes representing thin, curved strands.

Meaning mnemonic

The four strokes look like thin, curved hairs growing from a surface. Picture a tuft of fur or a feather: 毛 is hair.

Reading mnemonic

For モウ, imagine a mound of soft fur: mound -> モウ, and the mound is made of fluffy 毛.