How to Write 帽 (mào) — Meaning “Hat / Cap”

Imagine a hat (帽) made of cloth (巾) that covers your eyes (目) like a mask, with a roof (冖) on top. The saying "cloth over eyes" reminds you of the right side 冒, which looks like a hat covering a face.

Write the left radical 巾 first: vertical, horizontal fold hook, then vertical stroke – keep it narrow. Then the right part 冒: start with the cover 冖 (two strokes), then write 目 (five strokes) centered below it. A common mistake is making the 巾 too wide or forgetting the horizontal line inside 冖.

帽 means hat and uses 巾 (cloth) plus 冒 (covering sound). 席 means a mat or seat and uses 广 (building) over 巾 with extra strokes, so it is about floor coverings. 帱 (chóu) means a bed curtain or canopy and also has 巾 but a different right part; it is rare and not about hats.

帽 is used for any hat or cap, most commonly in the word 帽子 (mào zi). It appears in phrases like 戴帽 (dài mào) meaning "to wear a hat" and 草帽 (cǎo mào) for a straw hat, often associated with farming or outdoor work.

Common words containing 帽 include: 帽子 (mào zi) — Hat / Cap; 草帽 (cǎo mào) — Straw hat.; 戴帽 (dài mào) — to wear a hat.