How to Write 麦 (mài) — Meaning “Wheat”

Think of the sound "mai" like "my" — "My wheat is growing." For the shape, imagine the top part as a stalk of wheat with a heavy head, and the bottom 夂 as a farmer walking to harvest it. This visual story ties the sound and form together.

Pay attention to the stroke order: first three horizontals and a vertical (like 丰), then a left-falling stroke, followed by a horizontal hook, and finally a right-falling stroke. A common mistake is making the last stroke a dot instead of a clear right-falling diagonal, or confusing the bottom part with 夊.

麦片 (mài piàn) means oatmeal or cereal, often used for breakfast food. 小麦 (xiǎo mài) is wheat, the crop. 麦当劳 (mài dāng láo) is McDonald's, the fast food chain, and you use it when talking about restaurants or ordering food.

麦 is used in everyday vocabulary related to food and agriculture, like in 面包 (bread) and 面条 (noodles). Culturally, northern China relies heavily on wheat for staples such as steamed buns and dumplings, and the name 麦当劳 shows how the character is adapted for brand transliterations.

Common words containing 麦 include: 麦片 (mài piàn) — Oatmeal / Cereal; 小麦 (xiǎo mài) — Wheat; 麦当劳 (mài dāng láo) — McDonald's.