How to Write 袤 (mào) — Meaning “Length (specifically from north to south)”

Picture a long robe (衣) draped over a spear (矛) laid flat on the ground from north to south. The spear represents the straight, measured length, and the robe covers its entire extent.

The outer component 衣 must be written with a left-falling stroke (丿) before the final vertical hook, and the inner 矛 should stay centered and slightly smaller. A common mistake is making the bottom of 衣 too wide, which makes the character unbalanced.

衮 (gǔn) means "dragon robe" and has 公 inside 衣; 衰 (shuāi) means "decline" and has a different inner shape (a twisted mouth). 袤 specifically emphasizes spatial length, while 衮 relates to clothing and 衰 to weakening.

袤 appears mostly in formal or literary phrases like 广袤 (vast, especially land) and 延袤 (extent). It is not common in everyday speech, but you may see it in geography texts or classical poetry to describe the great north-south stretch of a territory.

Common words containing 袤 include: 广袤 (guǎng mào) — vast; expansive; 延袤 (yán mào) — Length / Extent; 袤延 (mào yán) — To extend or stretch out.