How to Write 毳 (cuì) — Meaning “fine hair / down”

Imagine a triple-layered coat of soft fur: the top layer, middle layer, and bottom layer all made of fine hair. The three 毛 stacked like a fuzzy sandwich helps you recall that 毳 means 'down' or 'fine fur'.

The key is to keep the three 毛 components balanced and evenly spaced vertically. Each 毛 should be slightly narrower than normal to fit in the square, and the lowest component's tail (the hook) should not extend too far right.

毳 (cuì) specifically means fine, soft hair or down, while 毪 (mù) refers to a kind of woolen fabric used in Tibet, and 毫 (háo) means fine long hair or a writing brush. Visually, 毳 has three 毛 stacked, 毪 has 毛 with 木, and 毫 has 毛 under 高.

毳 is quite rare in daily speech but appears in literary or classical contexts, such as 毳毛 (cuì máo, 'down feathers') or 毳幕 (cuì mù, 'felt tent' or 'yurt') referring to nomadic dwellings. It is also used in traditional medicine to describe very fine body hair.

Common words containing 毳 include: 毳毛 (cuì máo) — down / fine hair; 寒毳 (hán cuì) — fine winter fur or hair; 毳幕 (cuì mù) — felt tent / yurt.