How to Write 模 (mó/mú) — Meaning “model; pattern; mold”

Picture a wooden block (木) used as a mold, but the details are unclear — this connects to both 'model' and 'blurry' (模糊). The right side 莫 can be remembered as 'don't' focus exactly, because the shape is only a pattern, not the final product.

The left radical 木 must have a hook at the bottom of the vertical stroke. On the right, the top of 莫 has a short horizontal stroke, followed by a vertical line through the middle of 日, and a wide 大 at the bottom. A common mistake is to forget that top horizontal stroke or to make the 大 too narrow.

模 uses the wood radical and means 'model' or 'pattern'; 棉 uses the silk radical (纟) and means 'cotton'; 棋 also uses wood but the right side is 其 and means 'chess'. So 模 is about forms, 棉 is about fabric, and 棋 is about the game.

模 appears in 模型 (móxíng) meaning 'model' or 'scale model', often used for toys or architectural displays. It is also in 模糊 (móhú) meaning 'blurry' or 'vague', used when describing unclear vision or unclear memories. These two words are very common in daily Chinese.

Common words containing 模 include: 模糊 (mó hú) — blurry; vague; fuzzy; 模型 (mó xíng) — model; scale model; 模样 (mú yàng) — Appearance.