How to Write 茂 (mào) — Meaning “Lush / Luxuriant”

Imagine a patch of thick grass (艹) covering a mountain shaped like the letter 'w' (戊). This visual of wild, spreading greenery helps you recall that 茂 means lush and flourishing.

Start with the grass radical: two horizontal strokes, then short verticals on left and right. Then write 戊: horizontal, left-falling stroke, horizontal hook, left-falling, and a dot. A common mistake is making the grass radical too wide—keep it narrow to leave room for the bottom part.

Unlike 茂, which means 'lush', 兹 (zī) means 'now' or 'this' and has a different bottom structure (two 幺 shapes). 艻 (lè) is a rare character for a type of grass and is not used for flourishing. Visually, 茂's bottom part 戊 has a distinct hook and dot.

茂 appears in words like 茂盛 (mào shèng) for flourishing plants and 茂密 (mào mì) for dense foliage. It is common in nature descriptions, literature, and place names, though it is not part of the HSK vocabulary.

Common words containing 茂 include: 茂盛 (mào shèng) — Flourishing / Exuberant; 茂密 (mào mì) — Dense / Thick; 茂林 (mào lín) — Lush forest.