How to Write 毫 (háo) — Meaning “Milli-; fine hair; at all”

Imagine a tiny hair (毛) growing out of a mouth (口) — that small detail is only one millimeter (毫米) long. The top dot (亠) looks like a tiny speck, reminding you that 毫 means 'a tiny bit'. Think of it as 'mouth hair' to recall its connection to smallness.

Start with the top dot and horizontal line (亠), then write 口 (mouth) underneath, keeping it narrow. Next write 毛 with four strokes: horizontal, horizontal, left-falling, vertical hook — make the bottom part slightly wider than the top. Common mistakes include making the 口 too wide or forgetting the dot above it.

毫 has a top component of 亠 and 口, while 毡 (zhān) has 占 (a roof over a mouth) and means 'felt fabric'. 毪 (móu) has 牟 (a cow-related component) and means 'fine woolen cloth'. Visually, 毫 uses 毛 as the radical, but the top parts differ, and their meanings focus on measurement or tiny amounts versus textiles.

毫 is commonly used as a prefix for one-thousandth, like 毫米 (millimeter), and in negative phrases such as 毫不 (not at all) and 丝毫 (the slightest bit). Culturally, 毫 emphasizes absolute negation—for example, 毫不客气 means 'not polite at all'—showing how Chinese uses tiny units to stress total absence.

Common words containing 毫 include: 毫米 (háo mǐ) — millimeter; 毫不 (háo bù) — not at all / not in the least; 丝毫 (sī háo) — The slightest bit / A tiny bit.